ECA has sent the following letter UNESCO:
Director General Koïchiro Maatsuura
UNESCO
7, Place de Fontenoy
75352 Paris 07 SP
France
Copenhagen, 11th of March 2005
The European Council of Artists gathers interdisciplinary artists' councils and organisations in 25 European countries. The architects' unions are taking part in the cooperation in more than half of these national umbrellas.
The International Union of Architects brought to our attention that as a consequence of the restructuring of the UNESCO, architecture might not be among the policy priorities from 2006.
At its meeting in Brussels 26-27th of February, the ECA Executive Committee decided to express its regret to this unfortunate change of policy.
Architecture is one of the mothers of all arts. With its rich history and great impact on the shaping of the present society and its artifacts, architecture is in the heart of our shared cultural heritage - a main concern of the UNESCO. The importance of UNESCO's different initiatives for preservation and actions in this field can not be overestimated.
Furthermore UNESCO is playing an important role for our future heritage, by securing the quality of the architectural education on global level.
ECA therefore supports the calls to reconsider the placement of architecture within UNESCO in order to secure that UNESCO can continue its necessary work in this field, and will encourage the national ECA members to address the UNESCO national commissions in their respective countries.
On behalf of the ECA Executive Committee
Hubert Biebaut,
President