Statement by Minister Dacic at the meeting of the Commission of the Republic of Serbia for Cooperation with UNESCO
18 January 2023
Esteemed President of the Commission Professor Milasinovic,
Dear members of the National Commission,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is a great honour for me to greet you today and welcome you on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In light of the recent holiday season, I take this opportunity to extend to you my best wishes for both your personal and professional endeavours. At the same time, I would like to thank you all for the tireless efforts of the National Commission of the Republic of Serbia for cooperation with UNESCO and express willingness to continue the good communication and coordination in the future as well.
Dear friends,
In a time of growing challenges, the preservation of national identity is one of Serbia's priorities, because, especially now, we have to redouble our efforts to systematically and comprehensively protect our tradition and culture. The complexity of the current situation in Kosovo and Metohija calls for a serious and strategic approach, and we are witnessing that the most sensitive part of the struggle is being waged in none other than the international arena. Precisely for this reason, we are proud of the fact that four Serbian monasteries in Kosovo and Metohija are inscribed on the World Heritage List, because in this way the universal value of the religious heritage of the Serbs for the heritage of humanity is recognized. Unfortunately, it is the inscribed monasteries that are, as probably the only ones in the world, also on the list of World Heritage in Danger, which best demonstrates the range of threats and risks to which our legacy in Kosovo and Metohija is exposed. More than ever, we need a broader unity in the protection of vital national interests in Kosovo and Metohija, and through UNESCO we can draw international attention to the character of the current situation in our southern province.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Our joint activities in recent years have not been limited only to the promotion of national treasures such as the inscription of the Miroslav Gospel, Tesla's legacy, but also include the notification of historical documents that marked watershed moments for Serbia and the whole world. In addition, we are also working on other multinational nominations, and all our activities testify to Serbia's commitment to the development of cooperation with other states and intensive activities on the international level, to which you, through the work of the National Commission, made your personal contribution and mark.
In addition to recognizing the tangible wealth of Serbia, at the end of last year, UNESCO also included Serbian plum brandy, šljivovica, in the intangible heritage of humanity. Behind this excellent news for all of us is the dedicated work of our experts, who I commend on this occasion, because the immense wealth of our country is gaining visibility on the international level owing to the efforts of the National Commission.
As you know, Serbia is chairing the Executive Board of UNESCO in a two-year term in 2022-2023 and this affirms our deep commitment to the goals of this international organization. Unfortunately, with the armed conflict in Ukraine, all international organizations have been faced with the politicization of issues and we can safely conclude that polarization in international forums is obvious. In such extremely difficult geopolitical circumstances, due to its consistent and independent policy, Serbia, in its capacity as chair of UNESCO, can help improve communication channels and find compromises, which will contribute to defining and taking an appropriate stance towards pressing issues. We are particularly proud that our engagement has been repeatedly praised by a large number of UNESCO member states, which shows that Serbia has established itself as a credible partner in multilateral frameworks as well.
Therefore, the re-election of Serbia to the UNESCO Executive Board this year is one of the special priorities. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been working diligently to gain the support of the widest possible number of UNESCO member states. I would like to especially thank the members of the National Commission who are already actively involved in the preparation of our candidacy and to emphasize once again that we can achieve this goal only through joint efforts.
Personally, I would like to ask you to continue helping secure confidence in our candidacy, within the framework of your competences, because in addition to actively contributing to the protection of identity issues, the re-election of Serbia to the UNESCO Executive Board has an added value in terms of the protection of our highest national interests.
Finally, rest assured that Serbia, at all levels, is committed to the premise from the preamble of the UNESCO Constitution, which states that „since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed“.
