After reopening of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2015, a presentation of its work results was held today on its premises. On this occasion, His Excellency Eric Nelson, the U.S. Ambassador in BiH, the Director of the National Museum, Mirsad Sijaric, and Siniša Šešum, UNESCO Representative in BiH, addressed the participants.

This media event was also an opportunity to announce the start of the Phase II of the project "Preventive Conservation of the Collections of the National Museum of BiH", which was funded again by the Special Fund of U.S. Ambassadors for Preservation of Cultural Heritage, that is by the U.S. Department of State, this time with the amount of $ 425,000.00 (765,000.00 BAM). The project is being implemented by the Commission to Preserve National Monuments.

The main objective of the Phase II is to improve the resilience of all four buildings of the Museum pavilion against the risks of fire, floods and negative environmental impacts, with the aim of safeguarding collections and preserving over three million artifacts.

During the first phase of the Project, which was completed in the middle of this year and for which the United States Government allocated over one million BAM (approximately $625,000), the level of protection of the collections is in line with internationally prescribed standards. In this regard, the works have been completed on installation of fire alarm systems in the buildings of Archeology and Natural Sciences, as well as a video surveillance throughout the whole complex of the National Museum. A state-of-the-art video surveillance system was installed on the museum's premises, and with a total of 104 external and internal cameras and anti-theft sensors, security against theft and vandalism was significantly improved. Protection against vandalism and theft was further enhanced by restoration of balustrade fences on the museum's terraces, which in addition to its functionality contribute to the aesthetic value of the whole ambient. In addition to the aforementioned activities, restoration of the roofs of the Department of Prehistory and restoration of the interior were carried out, as well as the restoration of wall and ceiling paintings in this department. Furthermore, sophisticated equipment was purchased for the purpose of carrying out preventative conservation procedures over the collections. These are thirteen modern appliances that will enhance the work of the Conservation Department of the National Museum and improve the present practice applied to implementation of the preventive conservation measures.

Further activities planned by the Phase II of the Project were carried out in accordance with recommendations of the Washington Smithsonian Institute experts who visited the museum.

At this stage of the Project, the following activities are planned for the course of the next two years:

• Works on electrical Installation in four Museum pavilions
• Ensuring adequate environmental conditions, by restoring plumbing and sewage installations;
• Reparation and replacement of carpentry in the building of the Department of Natural Sciences, and
• Partial emergency remediation of roofs on the west structure.

We hereby emphasize that this project is of utmost importance not only for the identity of the City of Sarajevo, but also for the overall heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it presents a continuation of the successful long-standing cooperation of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments of BiH, the National Museum of BiH and the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo.