The Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage of Serbia was established in the Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade in June 2012 as a central expert body responsible for safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage in the Republic of Serbia.
The main tasks of the Center are managing the National Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage and all documents on registered intangible cultural heritage, as well as performing both the basic selection and the professional processing of proposals for inscription in the National Register. Each of the elements of the intangible cultural heritage of the Republic of Serbia that is inscribed in the Representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity, the List of elements in need of urgent safeguarding or in the Register of good safeguarding practices is assigned a special file created and maintained in the Center.
The Law on Cultural Heritage (Article 90) states that the Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage at the Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade performs the following tasks of the central protection institution as entrusted activities:
- - managing the Central Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage;
- - participating in creation of the Program for development of activities for protection and safeguarding of cultural heritage in the Republic of Serbia;
- - coordinating the standards of activities performed by local safeguarding institutions and the internationally recognized professional standards;
- - preparing the nomination files for inscription of elements of intangible cultural heritage on the UNESCO lists;
- - determining the unique starting points for the development of a digitalization plan and electronic processing of cultural heritage;
- - supplying professional guidelines for safeguarding instructions in the Republic of Serbia;
- - matching the practices of safeguarding institutions with the international conventions in the field of protection and safeguarding of cultural heritage, in accordance with the law.
In addition, the Law on Museum Activity (Article 40) stipulates that the Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage at the Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade performs the following entrusted tasks: managing the National Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage, participating in devising the development strategies for institutions tasked with safeguarding the cultural assets in the Republic of Serbia; introducing the international professional standards for museum activities in cooperation with parent museums; supplying professional guidelines for museums in the Republic of Serbia.
The important tasks of the Center include coordination and establishment of cooperation between communities, groups, individuals, experts, educational and scientific-research institutions. The Center performs activities of research, collection, documentation, safeguarding and presentation of elements of intangible cultural heritage from the territory of the Republic of Serbia. It also initiates activities of regional coordinators in fields of safeguarding and protection of intangible cultural heritage.
The Center is also active in organization of professional conferences and education activities in field of safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage. It cooperates with regional coordinators, scientific and cultural institutions, non-governmental organizations and local communities in realization of programs of safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage.
Address:
Center for the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Serbia
Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade
Studentski trg 13
11000 Belgrade
Republic of Serbia
