FOUNDATION FOR PROTECTION OF THE CULTURAL HERITAGE
IN REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

The cultural heritage is one of the fundaments of the state. The degree of civilization of one people is measured according to the care of that people, of that state towards the cultural heritage. Because of that are adopted many international conventions for protection of the cultural heritage as a gain for the development of the world.

The Cultural Heritage Protection Office, a body within the Ministry of Culture, as a highest state institution that represents the cultural heritage in our country, together with the other professional institutions, is taking care for this exceptionally valuable category, encouraged the forming of a Foundation for Protection of the Cultural Heritage in Republic of Macedonia. The justification for forming of this Foundation is based on the current state of affairs in which the cultural heritage in our country is found, above all, as a manner of complementing of the insufficient finances for efficient implementation of the provisions from the Law on Protection of Cultural Heritage (Official Gazette of RM, br.20/04). The Foundation would be in the framework of the CHPO, but it would have its own independent managerial body that will function accordingly for the benefit of the special and specific circumstances that will threat the cultural heritage of the country. The inaugural fund would come from the state, and further on the Foundation would function with the help from donations.

This possibility of forming of funds is foreseen in the Recommendation from UNESCO for protection of the cultural heritage confirmed on 21.11.1972, where is decisively said that the member states can form one or more funds as legal public institutions that can accept gifts, donations and contributions from individuals and institutions.

We consider that this action is immediate need in favor of our cultural heritage, in favor of the exceptional specific situations in which oftentimes the cultural-historical values in our country are found. This commitment is in the direction of faster interventions when our sacral and profane complexes and objects, archaeological sites and movable artifacts are endangered.