SARAJEVO, December 4 (FENA) – One of the agenda items of the 19th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which is being held in Asunción, Paraguay, from December 2 to 7, is the inclusion of Sevdalinka on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, which is expected to happen today. While waiting for Sevdalinka to be added to this list, the FBiH Ministry of Culture and Sports, which is the lead body in the preparation of the nomination document for Sevdalinka’s inclusion, shared the joy of this decision with the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

FBiH Culture and Sports Minister Sanja Vlaisavljević stated today at a press conference that the preparation process for the nomination took a long time and that, thanks to the persistent work of the Assistant Minister for Culture, Mirela Milićević Šečić, who assembled the expert team, the nomination process was successfully completed.

”Today is that special moment when the FBiH Ministry, which nominated Sevdalinka, has the opportunity to announce that this process has been concluded, and I am confident this will bring great joy to everyone in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Minister Sanja Vlaisavljević.

Mirela Milićević Šečić, Assistant Minister for Culture and Sports, emphasized that by being added to the Representative List, Sevdalinka becomes part of the world’s cultural mosaic, a worthy representative of our people’s culture and our country’s rich intangible heritage.

Milićević Šečić reminded that the initiative was started by the Association of Musical Artists from Tuzla and that extensive preparations for the document were carried out at the Federal Ministry of Culture and Sports.

”According to the clearly defined conditions set by UNESCO, the nomination document fully met five criteria, which have already been reviewed by the evaluation body and will be confirmed by the vote of the intergovernmental committee for the inclusion of Sevdalinka on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity,” said Milićević Šečić, also noting the time difference between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Paraguay.

Tamara Karača Beljak, a professor at the Music Academy and ethnomusicologist, said she was pleased that such an important task had been completed, emphasizing the significance of the support provided by respected Sevdalinka performers and the academic community.

She noted that this international recognition would stimulate further work on promoting Sevdalinka, as well as projects aimed at preserving other numerous cultural and traditional expressions.

The academic community provided expert support in the preparation of the nomination document, with representatives from two higher education institutions – the University of Sarajevo and the University of Mostar. The most important aspect of the nomination was the support and consent of the bearers and supporters of Sevdalinka, as shown through numerous letters that are part of this nomination. Among them are respected performers, as well as well-known figures in literature and the arts, all of whom find Sevdalinka to be an eternal inspiration.