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An EU funded project managed by the European Commission Liaison Office implemented by the Council of Europe. A Joint action to promote the Rehabilitation of Cultural Heritage in Kosovo.

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RIC Mechanism

The RIC is responsible for programming and overseeing the implementation of the reconstruction works to 34 Serbian Orthodox religious sites damaged during the events of March 2004. In addition to the reconstruction activities, the RIC is actively contributing towards the development of capacity building between the main institutions involved, as well as professional training and public awareness.

The members of the Commission are as follows:

The RIC is the decision-making body responsible for the implementation process. Its mandate is clearly defined in the Terms of Reference signed in August 2005, and consequently revised in May 2006 with an Addendum accepted in September 2006.

RIC Technical Unit

The RIC is supported by a Technical Unit which is based in Pristina. The Technical Unit is financially supported by the Council of Europe (COE) and European Commission (EC). It is headed by a Project Manager (international expert in architecture) and comprises five local staff in the fields of architecture, civil engineering, administration and interpretation/translation. The Technical Unit comprises Serbian and Albanian staff.

The RIC Technical Unit is responsible for the day to day management of contracts, procurement and administration duties and is responsible for implementing the decisions of the RIC under the guidance of the RIC Chairperson. It has direct liaison with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports which has budget and procurement management responsibilities. A local consultant appointed by the Ministry acts as the ‘focal point’ between the Ministry and the Technical Unit to provide an efficient and direct line of communication.

Tender Process

All projects are prepared by the Serbian Institutions for the Protection of Cultural Monuments (IPMs) managed through its office in Leposavic, and the preparation of contract documentation and the procurement processes are organised jointly by the Technical Unit and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS). All tenders are global, focusing to attract companies from the region. The ‘Invitation to Tender Notices’ are published in local and regional newspapers and on the RIC, CoE and EC websites. The tenders are designed to attract companies that have experience in the construction and conservation of Orthodox cultural heritage monuments. This experience shall constitute an essential condition for the selection of successful contractors. Tenders are evaluated by the RIC with observation by the MCYS procurement officer, and the recommendations are put forward to the Church for approval. The contracts are managed on site by the RIC Technical Unit.

RIC supervisors / consultants

Supervisors and consultants are appointed by the RIC to oversee the day-to-day operations of the works on site. They are overseen by both Serbian and Albanian supervisors / consultants whose role it is to instruct the contractor and ensure quality standards are met. In principle, the supervisors are nominated through the IPMs and reflect an equal balance of Albanian and Serbian representation on each project site.

Capital Funding for Reconstruction

6 million euros has been committed by the Kosovo Assembly since 2004 2 million euros was committed by the European Agency for Reconstruction to manage and complete reconstruction works to two of the RIC priority sites in Prizren. Funding has also come from the US Office in 2005 (€35 000) and from the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation (US$65 000) in September 2007.

Achievements

Based on priorities defined by the RIC in consultation with the Serbian Orthodox Church the following achievements have been realised since 2005, promoting the opportunity for these sites to have a future and positive functional use once more within the communities in which they stand.

  • 2005 - 30 sites conserved, consolidated and protected
  • 2006 - 8 sites prioritised for the implementation of reconstruction projects
  • 2007 - 13 sites prioritised for the implementation of reconstruction projects
  • 2008 - 9 sites identified for further prioritised works
  • 2009 - 4 sites have projects prepared for tender

Partners

The European Commission continues to support the RIC project programme trough the European Commission Liaison Office (ECLO) and succeeds the European Agency for Reconstruction in a direct joint programme contract with the Council of Europe.

The RIC is strongly supported by the United Nations Mission In Kosovo (UNMIK) particularly in respect to co-ordinating security issues with KFOR and the police, liaising between the various stakeholders, and providing co-ordination and logistical assistance when necessary.

The RIC has been supported by the Macedonian Centre for Archaeological Research as well as the European Centre for Byzantine and Post Byzantine Studies.

The RIC project represents an integral part of the Council of Europe’s Regional Programme for Cultural and Natural Heritage in South East Europe managed by the Regional Co-operation Division of the Directorate for Culture and Cultural and Natural Heritage (DGIV)

Training

The International Expert Board experts from Greece, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom have played an important role in initiating workshops on topics relating to the conservation and management of our European cultural heritage. A five day workshop was also hosted by the European Centre for Byzantine and Post Byzantine Studies in 2007, attended by 18 local experts nominated by the IPMs in Belgrade and Pristina.

Conclusion

The RIC project of reconstruction has positively impacted on the economic growth and sustainability of regions in Kosovo as well as encouraging a multi-ethnic and diverse approach to its work. The project has provided the opportunity to encourage and establish institutional capacity building, as well as trust and confidence between local institutions at technical level.

The project has emphasised the importance of culture, not only in the form of being able to encourage training opportunities in the field of conservation, but it also emphasises how culture and cultural heritage is playing a key role in a particularly sensitive political arena. The RIC working framework has influenced UNOSEK in its proposals for an Implementing Monitoring Council (IMC) to manage the implementation process of proposed protective zones of Serbian Orthodox religious sites in Kosovo. However, the opportunity remains to extend the RIC framework to include the management and implementation of all heritage in Kosovo, using the representation of key partners as the pivotal platform for promoting a co-ordinated and sustainable approach to heritage management.

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Donators

An EU funded project managed by the European Commission Liaison Office implemented by the Council of Europe. A Joint action to promote the Rehabilitation of Cultural Heritage in Kosovo.

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* All reference to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.