Annotated Agenda

FIRST PLENARY SESSION OF THE INTERNATIONAL COORDINATION COMMITTEE FOR THE SAFEGUARDING OF ’S CULTURAL HERITAGE

16-18 June 2003 UNESCO Headquarters, Paris Bonvin building 1, rue Miollis 75015 Paris Room XIII

Peace and stability are at last in sight for the Afghan people. While areas of insecurity and volatility still remain, the opportunity to rally the international community to support a coordinated relief, recovery, rehabilitation, return and reintegration effort is unique and must be seized. It is now vital that immediate steps are taken to promote a return to normal life and stability and to prepare for longer-term development.

In this context, the safeguarding of all aspects of cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible, including museums, monuments, archeological sites, music, art, traditional crafts etc. holds an important position in order to strengthen the sense of national integrity. Cultural heritage can become a rallying point for former adversaries, enabling them to re-build ties and dialogue and re-design a common identity and future together. UNESCO’s strategy is to help re-establish the links between the populations concerned and their cultural history, helping them to develop a sense of common ownership of monuments that represent the cultural identity of different segments of society. It is therefore directly linked to the nation-building process within the framework of the UN and international concerted efforts for rehabilitating Afghanistan.

With reference to UN Secretary-General’s dictum “Our challenge is to help the Afghans help themselves," policies and activities for the safeguarding of Afghanistan’s cultural heritage will focus on training and capacity building activities, related to the preservation of this cultural heritage. In addition, following the Government of Afghanistan’s request to UNESCO to coordinate all international efforts in the field of culture, the International Coordination Committee for the Safeguarding of Afghanistan’s Cultural Heritage is being created under the auspices of UNESCO. The Committee’s advice will enable the Afghan authorities to develop a cultural policy framework for immediate and long-term heritage protection.

The mandate of this Committee as defined in its Statutes as approved by UNESCO’s Executive Board at is 165th meeting in October 2002, is to “advise the Director-General – who

1 will inform the Afghan authorities, Member States and other partners – on measures to improve and reinforce international cooperation for the safeguarding of Afghanistan’s cultural heritage, and more precisely on:

(a) a policy framework for immediate and long-term heritage protection and the definition of priorities and practical standards according to the funds and technical assistance available or forthcoming in the near future;

(b) concrete programmes and international assistance of the highest international standards;

(c) the progress of the various activities in support of the safeguarding of Afghan cultural heritage in order to avoid duplication or conflicts of any kind;

(d) the exchange of knowledge on cultural sites, museums and cultural traditions throughout the country;

(e) identification of the funds available from the donor countries and other partners in order to ensure their proper coordination, as well as identification of possible supplementary funding and technical assistance for the safeguarding of Afghanistan’s cultural heritage;

(f) assistance to the Afghan authorities in implementing or elaborating the necessary legislative action to protect their cultural heritage and in preparing nominations of potential world heritage properties for inscription on the World Heritage List.”

The Committee is invited, as it considers the various items on the agenda of this meeting, to bear in mind the above tasks and draw up conclusions and recommendations in response thereto.

2 Monday, 16 June 2003

9:30-10.45h Opening Session

9.30h Statements by :

?? Dr Makhdoum RAHEEN, Minister of Information and Culture of the Afghan Transitional Government ?? Mr Koïchiro MATSUURA, Director-General of UNESCO; ?? Dr G. R. YUSUFZAI, Deputy Minister for Culture of the Afghan Transitional Government and Chairperson of the “National Council for the Protection and Rehabilitation of Afghanistan’s Cultural Heritage”; ?? Dr Tamás FEJÉRDY, Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee.

10.15 h Adoption of the Rules of Procedure of the ICC and election of four Vice Chairpersons and a Rapporteur

While the Chairperson of the Committee is appointed by the Director-General for a period of four years (Article 4.1. of the Statutes of the ICC), the Committee shall elect four Vice- Chairpersons and a Rapporteur for the same term (Articles 4.1. and 4.2. of the Statutes and Article 2 of the Rules of Procedure of the ICC).

10.45-13.30h Session 1: Capacity building, archaeological research and conservation activities of various donor countries and organizations

Background: Archaeological research and capacity-building activities are presently being organized by the French Archaeological Mission to Afghanistan, the Istituto per l'Africa e l'Oriente and the German Archaeological Institute at many cultural sites and institutions in Afghanistan. Various donor countries and organizations, such as the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, are also preparing or already carrying out conservation activities. Expected result: Different activities and their progress coordinated in order to avoid duplication.

Interventions by: ?? Mr Roland BESENVAL, Head of the French Archaeological Mission to Afghanistan (DAFA), on DAFA activities, namely in Balkh, Ai Khanum, Kabul and Bamiyan; ?? Professor Giovanni VERARDI, Istituto per l'Africa e l’Oriente, on ’s conservation projects, in particular in Ghazni; ?? Professor Dr Hermann PARZINGER, President of the German Archaeological Institute, on institutional capacity building for archaeological institutions in Afghanistan and the rehabilitation of the Bagh-e Babur Gardens; ?? Professor Michael PETZET, President of ICOMOS, on projects for restoration and reconstruction of houses in traditional materials in Kabul and the rehabilitation of Bagh-e Babur Gardens; ?? Mr Jolyon LESLIE, Aga Khan Trust for Culture, on Aga Khan Trust for Culture’s activities in Afghanistan, namely conservation of traditional housing and the Bagh-e Babur Gardens;

3 ?? Dr Rasoul VATANDOUST, Director of Research Centre for Conservation of Cultural Relics and Head of Department for Cultural and International Relations of the Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization, on Iranian conservation projects, mainly for Islamic monuments and training for Afghan specialists; ?? Ms Nancy HATCH-DUPREE, founding member of SPACH, on SPACH’s projects in Afghanistan; ?? Mr Michael K. TRIMBLE, Chief, Curation and Archives Analysis Brand, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, on a possible contribution of the United States for the rehabilitation of Afghanistan’s cultural heritage

Discussion

13.30- 15.00 h Lunch

15-18 h Session 2: Implementation of the World Heritage Convention and the Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, National Inventories and documentation

Background: The World Heritage Convention is being implemented in Afghanistan through capacity-building activities for establishing Tentative Lists, nominating new properties for inscription on the World Heritage List, and enhancing conservation, management and presentation of World Heritage or potential World Heritage properties in Afghanistan. Illicit traffic of cultural property is a problem that needs to be solved as soon as possible. The continuing and systematic looting of cultural heritage properties in Afghanistan, in particular from well-known archaeological sites that have been researched in the past by national and international scholars, has to be stopped. To this aim, inventories need to be strengthened and especially the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, shall be ratified and implemented. The re-establishment of the national inventory of heritage properties and movable objects, the mobilization of international support for compiling records and documentation, and rebuilding of resources are urgent needs which were underscored in the recommendations of the Kabul Seminar.

Expected results: International cooperation for the implementation of the Conventions improved, recommendations on measures for the prevention of illicit traffic obtained and highest international standards for the National Inventories and documentation ensured.

Interventions by: ?? Dr Tamás FEJÉRDY, Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee, and Ms Junko TANIGUCHI, World Heritage Centre, on the implementation of the World Heritage Convention in Afghanistan; ?? Mr Abdul Wasey FEROOZI, Head of the Institute of Archaeology, Afghan Ministry of Information and Culture, on National Inventories and documentation; ?? Mr Guido CARDUCCI, UNESCO, Chief of International Standards Section, Division of Cultural Heritage, on legislative and concrete actions to be taken to prevent illicit traffic of cultural property; ?? Professor Giovanni VERARDI, Istituto per l'Africa e l'Oriente, Mr Roland BESENVAL, Head of the French Archaeological Mission to Afghanistan, and

4 Professor Dr Hermann PARZINGER, President of the German Archaeological Institute, on priorities and practical standards for archaeological documentation; ?? Mr Robert KNOX, The British Museum, Ms Nancy HATCH-DUPREE, founding member of SPACH, and ?? Mr Paul BUCHERER-DIETSCHI, Director of the Foundation Bibliotheca Afghanica, on measures against the illicit traffic of cultural property.

Discussion

Tuesday, 17 June 2003

9 – 13h Session 3 : Rehabilitation of the Minaret of Jam and monuments in Herat

Background: The Minaret of Jam, the first Afghan property inscribed on the World Heritage List, the five minarets and the Queen’s Gowhar Shad Mausoleum in Herat, as well as other monuments in Herat, have been subjects of UNESCO conservation projects since 1970. The Jam Minaret’s foundations, were seriously endangered by floods from the Hari Rud and Jam River in April 2002. Emergency rescue operations to prevent the Minaret’s collapse, which would constitute an irreversible loss of Afghan cultural heritage, are of high importance and were recognized as a priority by the Government of Afghanistan and by the international community at the Kabul Seminar in May 2002. The same year, two UNESCO missions under the guidance of Prof. Andrea Bruno assessed the state of conservation of these monuments and recommended concrete emergency consolidation measures. In November 2002, Mr Tarcis Stevens and Mr Mario Santana from Leuven University carried out detailed metric documentation of the five minarets of the Queen’s Gowhar Shad Musalla in Herat, as well as of the Jam Minaret, taking the results of Prof. Bruno’s mission into account. During the Expert Working Group meeting on the Rehabilitation of the Sites of Jam and Herat which was organized by and held at UNESCO on 30th January 2003, first emergency consolidation and long-term conservation activities to be carried out were identified. The extreme urgency of undertaking temporary consolidation of the 5th Minaret in order to prevent its collapse, was stressed by all participants. At the same time, detailed soil investigations should be undertaken in Jam and Herat, enabling the design of long-term conservation plans. In view of the alarming condition of these monuments, the Governments of Italy and Switzerland have decided to fund conservation projects for these monuments through UNESCO. Expected results: Coordination initiated for further consolidation and conservation for these monuments coordinated.

Interventions by: ?? Mr Christian MANHART, UNESCO Division of Cultural Heritage, on “Recommendations of the Preservation of the Sites of Jam and Herat”, held in January 2003 in Paris, ?? Professor Andrea BRUNO, architect, advisor on Afghanistan to UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Culture, on priorities and practical standards for the Jam Minaret and the 5th Minaret in Herat and preventive measures already taken, and Professor Giovanni VERARDI, Istituto per l'Africa e l'Oriente, on the UNESCO/Italy Funds-in-Trust project; ?? Mr Paul BUCHERER-DIETSCHI, Director of the Foundation Bibliotheca Afghanica on the UNESCO/Switzerland Funds-in-Trust project; ?? Dr Rasoul VATANDOUST, Head of Department for Cultural and International Relations of the Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization, on possible assistance by

5 the Iranian Government towards the conservation of Islamic monuments in Herat and Jam; ?? Mr Jolyon LESLIE, Aga Khan Trust for Culture, on the rehabilitation of traditional housing in Herat and possible links with UNESCO projects; ?? Ms Nancy HATCH-DUPREE, founding member of SPACH, on previous restoration of the Minaret of Jam and of the Fourth Minaret in Herat; ?? Professor Gül ASATEKIN, Faculty of Architecture, Middle East Technical University, on possible assistance by the Turkish Government towards the conservation of Islamic monuments in Afghanistan, namely in Herat and Jam.

Discussion

13 – 14.00h Lunch

14.00h –18.00 h Session 4: Kabul National Museum of Afghanistan and institutional capacity building of Afghan museums

Background: The Recommendations of the “International Seminar on the Rehabilitation of Afghanistan’s Cultural Heritage”, held in Kabul in May 2002, define priorities for the rehabilitation of the Kabul Museum and include commitments for financial and technical assistance from Member States in this regard. The Government of Greece announced a first contribution of US$ 200,000 for emergency consolidation work at the Kabul Museum. In December 2002, the UNESCO Office in Kabul implemented a project for emergency protective work at the Museum. Expected results: Recommendations are expected on the definitive location of the Museum. With reference to the recommendations of the Kabul Seminar in May 2002 and the previous studies carried out by Prof. Andrea Bruno, discussion towards the definition of a policy framework initiated and priorities and practical standards set corresponding to the actual funding and to the technical assistance available.

Interventions by: ?? Mr Omara Khan MASSOUDI, Director of the Kabul Museum, on the Museum’s present condition and most urgent needs; ?? Mr Jim WILLIAMS, UNESCO office in Kabul, on the UNESCO project for the Kabul Museum; ?? Mr Manus BRINKMAN, Secretary-General of ICOM, on institutional capacity building and museum management; ?? Mr Diamantis TRIANTAPHYLLOS, Director of the 19th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, on the Greek contribution and the project for the rehabilitation of the Kabul Museum; ?? Mr Jean-François JARRIGE, Director of the Musée Guimet, on cooperation between the Musée Guimet and the Kabul Museum; ?? Mr Robert KNOX, Department of Oriental Antiquities, The British Museum, on cooperation between The British Museum and the Kabul Museum; ?? Professor Giovanni VERARDI, Istituto per l'Africa e l'Oriente, on the contribution of his institution to the Kabul Museum; ?? Ms Bertille LYONNET from the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) on the rehabilitation of the ceramic collections of the Kabul Museum,

6 their reorganization in the basement of the museum, and proposal for a presentation on the internet; ?? Professor Deborah KLIMBURG-SALTER, University of Vienna, on her previous works for the Kabul Museum collections; ?? Ms Nancy HATCH-DUPREE, founding member of SPACH, on possible museum management projects for the Kabul Museum; and ?? Ms Carla GRISSMAN, SPACH, on the inventorization of the Kabul Museum collections.

Discussion

Wednesday, 18 June 2003

9-12.30h Session 5 : Preservation of the Bamiyan Site

Background: Two UNESCO missions to Bamiyan were carried out in 2002: The Joint UNESCO/ICOMOS mission in July 2002 and the UNESCO/Japan Project Preparation mission in September 2002. Following these missions, participants in the “Expert Working Group on the Preservation of the Bamiyan Site” in November 2002 proposed recommendations on the preservation of the site, including concrete guidelines for future action. At the same time, the Japanese authorities decided to fund a conservation project for this site through UNESCO. Expected results: Priorities defined, possible complementary activities for this site pledged and coordination of all activities ensured. Interventions by : ?? Mr Christian MANHART, UNESCO Division of Cultural Heritage, on “Recommendations for the Preservation of the Bamiyan Site” of November 2002; ?? Mr Abdul Wasey FEROOZI, Head of the Institute of Archaeology, Afghan Ministry of Information and Culture, on priorities of the Ministry regarding the Bamiyan site; ?? Professor Kosaku MAEDA, Wako University, on the UNESCO/Japan Funds-in- Trust project, including preservation of mural paintings and consolidation of the cliffs; ?? Mr Paul BUCHERER-DIETSCHI, Director of the Foundation Bibliotheca Afghanica, on preparative measures for eventual professional placement of the remaining fragments of the Buddha statues; ?? Professor Michael PETZET, President of ICOMOS, on conservation of the remaining fragments of the Buddha statues and the safeguarding measures already undertaken; ?? Mr Roland BESENVAL, Head of the French Archaeological Mission to Afghanistan, on archaeological projects in Bamiyan and DAFA’s activities at the site; ?? Mr R. S. BISHT, Director Excavation and Exploration, Archaeological Survey of , on past and future activities of the Archaeological Survey of India in Bamiyan

Discussion

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12.30 – 14 h Lunch

14-16.15h Session 6: Intangible cultural heritage and handicrafts of Afghanistan

Background: Cultural heritage includes not only monuments and sites of archaeological importance, but also intangible heritage such as handicrafts, oral traditions, customs, languages, music, dance, festivities, traditional knowledge and special skills connected with the material aspects of culture. Under the Taliban regime, this cultural heritage was systematically destroyed or suppressed. The revitalization of the living cultural heritage of the people of Afghanistan is therefore an important task closely linked to the tangible heritage. As a first step, UNESCO has produced a CD of traditional Afghan women’s music, and has organized a Nou Rouz festival in Kabul and a ceramic tiles workshop in Herat. Expected result: Further activities in this field coordinated.

Interventions by: ?? Mr Jim WILLIAMS, UNESCO office in Kabul, on handicrafts and other initiatives taken for the safeguarding of Afghanistan’s intangible cultural heritage; ?? Mr Siddiq BARMAK, Director of Afghan Film Department, Ministry of Information and Culture, on film within the framework of the safeguarding of Afghanistan’s intangible cultural heritage; ?? Prince MIRWAIS, Honorary chairman of the National Council for the Preservation of Afghanistan's Cultural Heritage on the safeguarding of Afghanistan’s intangible cultural heritage; ?? Ms Nancy HATCH-DUPREE, founding member of SPACH, on the ceramic tiles workshop in Herat.

Discussion

16.15-17.45 Session 7: Drafting of Recommendations Working groups on session themes in order to draft Recommendations

17.45 – 19 h Closing session : Final discussion and adoption of Recommendations

8 Annex

A. Working documents:

1. Recommendations of the “International Seminar on the Rehabilitation of Afghanistan’s Cultural Heritage”, Kabul, May 2002; 2. Statutes of the International Coordination Committee for the Safeguarding of Afghanistan’s Cultural Heritage; 3. Draft Rules of Procedure of the ICC; 4. Recommendations on the Preservation of the Bamiyan Site, November 2002; 5. Recommendations on the Preservation of the Minaret of Jam and Monuments in Herat January 2003; 6. Briefing on UNESCO’s World Heritage Center’s activities in Afghanistan; 7. UNESCO’s Mandate and Activities for the Rehabilitation of Afghanistan’s Cultural Heritage 8. Progress Reports on bilateral projects:

i. The British Role in Cultural Rehabilitation in Afghanistan; ii. Projects of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in Afghanistan; iii. SPACH activity report; iv. SPACH/Carla Grissman report on the project on the establishment of an inventory of the Kabul Museum; v. Italian Archaeological Mission to Afghanistan – Activities Carried out in 2002 and planned work; vi. Projects of the German Archaeological Institute for the rehabilitation of the Bagh-e Babur Gardens and the Institute of Archaeology; vii. “Work in progress, The Rebirth of the Kabul Museum”, project funded by the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan.

B. Background documents:

9. World Heritage documents: a. UNESCO 1972 Convention concerning the protection of world cultural and natural heritage b. Operational Guidelines for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention c. Format for the periodic reporting on the application of the World Heritage Convention d. Format for the nomination of properties to be inscribed on the World Heritage List e. UNESCO-ICOMOS-ICCROM Management Guidelines for World Cultural Heritage f. UNESCO-ICOMOS-ICCROM Risk Preparedness: A management manual for World Cultural Heritage g. ICOMOS International Charter for Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites (The Venice Charter) (1964) h. ICOMOS Charter for Protection and Management of the Archaeological Heritage (1990) i. The Australian ICOMOS Charter for the Conservation of places of cultural significance (the Burra Charter) 1988 (rev. 1999)

9 j. ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Charter, 1999 k. The Nara Document on Authenticity l. Mission report of the Joint UNESCO WHC/ICOMOS mission to Afghanistan by Mr Francesco Bandarin, Director of the World Heritage Centre and Dr A. Zargar, ICOMOS Representative, May 2002; m. Extracts of the Reports of the World Heritage Committee concerning Afghanistan's heritage, December 2001, June 2002. n. Progress Report on the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention in Afghanistan presented to the 26th session of the World Heritage Committee, June 2002;

10. Statutes and workplan of the “National Council for the Protection and Rehabilitation of Afghanistan’s Cultural Heritage”; 11. Project documents for Japanese, Italian and Swiss UNESCO Funds-in-Trust projects; 12. UNESCO mission report on the rehabilitation of the Kabul Museum by Prof. Andrea Bruno, March 2002; 13. UNESCO mission report on the rehabilitation of the Minaret of Jam by Prof. Andrea Bruno, March 2002; 14. UNESCO mission report on the rehabilitation of the Minaret of Jam by Mr Andrea Borgia, August 2002; 15. UNESCO mission report on the preservation of the Bamiyan site by Prof. Claudio Margottini, September/October 2002; 16. Doha Statement on the position of Islam regarding cultural heritage.

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