Report on Activities of Executive Committee of UMAR
January 2002 - January 2003
Presented at the 9th General Assembly
Prepared by Salih Z.PEKIN General Secretary of UMAR

(NOTE: Final version of this report will be overviewed in the 23rd meeting of Executive Committee, before being submitted to the General Assembly)

This report on the activities of the UMAR Executive Bureau includes mainly the activities since the 8th G.A. held in Larnaka (CYPRUS) on the 19th-20th January 2002, until the 15th of January 2003, which covers a period of 12 months.

As the 9th G.A. is an elective assembly and due to the Statutes the most of the members of this E.C. are quitting their posts; it becomes a necessity to over light and remember what this E.C. has been done since over 4 years.

We must remember that this 8th G.A. of UMAR of the year 2001 could have been held lately in January 2002 instead of November 2001, because of delayed denouncement of Greece who declared at the 8th G.A. to host it in Greece.

The Executive Committee has a pleasure and willingness to present its enthusiastic thanks to the Ordine degli Architetti di Torino (OAT) who, in a large benevolence, makes us to meet each other, here in this beautiful and freezing city mostly recognised as the reference point of the occidental civilisation.

We owe thank to our Italian colleagues who collaborated to this meaningful organisation.

A- What the E.C. has realised during 2002, since the last G.A.
In General :
We must admit that we are living a period the most inactive of UMAR.

As we also have noted previously, the delegates who are present in the General Assemblies raise a high interest to the activities of UMAR, involve into meaningful debates for the healthy walk of UMAR, proposes the new projects, suggest themselves to the work groups or committees during the assemblies. But once the G.A. closed they forget their engagements and promises; their interest towards UMAR disperse.

What is happened once again since the last G.A.

First of all we must go back to remember the Decisions of the last G.A.

Appeal to the decisions of the 8th G.A.
If we take a look to the main decisions of the 8th General Assembly of UMAR for refreshing our memories, which can be a cursor for reviewing the principle activities of Executive Committee. Summary of the decisions is as follows:
- Decision on creation of ASYA-MED and support of members for its establishment.
- Respect of Regulation of Summer Schools while organising summer school and sending students
- Creation of CLUB UMAR and designation of KAMRAL TAL PERITI (Malte) as the Coordinator of CLUB
- the next meeting of the Deans must be organised in 2003, instead of 2002.
- organisation of competitions between students, giving the UMAR’s awards to those who contribute to the Mediterranean architecture and establishing a school of Mediterranean architecture
- The works on basic mission of architects would be integrated and followed in the Work Group of U.I.A. by conserving its specificities and these tusks will be coordinated by CNOA (France)
- the “Center of Documentation and Information on Mediterranean Architecture” can be created as a department of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. S.E.A. (Society of Egyptian Architects), is charged as coordinator for creating DICUMAR
- the proposition of “Text of Reflection on protection of Architectural heritage of Mediterranean basin” which is prepared by the Coordinator of the Committee is considered as a basic document to debate for preparing a “Common Declaration”
- G.A. has decided to organise the « 1st International Congress on Heritage of Mediterranean Architecture” in parallel of the 9th General Assembly of UMAR in Greece on November 2002.
- Decision on definition of Committees, Commissions and Work Groups.
- The Committees and Commissions will be constituted, following the demand of a national section in its country. The Coordinator and members will be elected or nominated by national section, which will also guarantee its functioning materially.
The other member countries has a right to participate to the works of these Committees or Commissions by constituting a work group in national scale or by nominating a mission delegate in their charges.
- “The members of Executive Committee and the members of Committees, Commissions and Work Groups or mission delegates must be mandated officially by their national sections. A letter of mandate will be requested at the stage of their candidature to the posts”.
- “The National Organisations of Architects (national sections) has a charge to nominate and mandate one or more persons (between their delegates of General Assembly of UMAR) that will guarantee the functioning of relations between UMAR and their national section.”
- to give Prize of UMAR to Mediterranean architects who realised the work of merit, to students in architecture, which has a success in their studies, to persons and/or institutions, which are
contributed to the Mediterranean architecture, and to decreed the prizes in each two years.
- to form a Work Group, composed of persons who will be nominated and mandated by Egypt, France and Tunisia. The Work Group will have the mission to define the modalities and regulations to be respected concerning the “Prize of UMAR” and “Awarding the student works”, as well as to constitute a project of Regulation to be submitted to the approval of E.C. in its next meeting that will be held in April 2002.
- A competition of project of idea and conception of UMAR will be organised each two years period between the students of architecture.
- A “By-Law of UMAR” will be prepared. G.S. will constitute a Work Group of three persons, where one of the members will the representative of Greece who prepared the first version of By-Law . The decisions of this assembly and the precedents must serve as data for the By-Law. The propositions for amending the Statutes of UMAR must be studied by this W.G.
The preparations must be finalised at an opportune period of time to be submitted to the supervision of the E.C. and to all members for collecting their reflexion before being submitted to the approval of the next General Assembly.
- UMAR will not intervening to the Congress of U.I.A. and it is wished that the President of UMAR be invited as an intervenient at the opening of G.A. of U.I.A.
- G.A. has decided to make a call to all members of UMAR to be in solidarity and act together for supporting the candidates of member countries of UMAR in the G.A. of U.I.A.
- The Action Plan-2002 revised and adopted.
- It is concluded that the principal theme of the year 2002 be: « Public Spaces»
It is decided that all the activities of UMAR should have to be oriented to the principal theme, including the Summer Schools, Conferences, Congresses, Exhibitions, Participations of UMAR, competitions, UMAR’s prizes, etc.
- Decisions on Financial functioning of UMAR and on the Budget of UMAR - 2002

As we can observe there are two groups of decisions that G.A. adopted. Those which charge the E.C. to apply and those that the member associations must respect and are engaged to apply.

E.C. tried to realise the most of the applications charged by the General Assembly

Activities of Executive Committee from January 2002 to January 2003

Executive Committee Meetings :
a- 21st Meeting of E.C. was in Larnaka before the 8th General Assembly.
It was mainly focused on reviewing the documents, reports and motions which were remitted to the General Assembly. The minutes of this meeting has been sent on 13/05 by e-mail and 14/05 by post to all members of E.C., to their substitutes and to the coordinators of work groups, as well as to the member Association of Architects.

b- Between January and September the E.C. couldn’t be met.
- First tentative of meeting foreseen for 30-31 March 2002 has been postponed because the quorum couldn’t be attend.
- The second previewed for 17-18 May 2002 has been cancelled because the same reason.

c- Mr Alain ARZIARI, Adjoin General Secretary do not participate to the meetings of E.C. since May 2000. He didn’t demission. He didn’t answer to our appeals.

d- Mr Said El Fassi-Fihri, the outgoing President, do not participate to the meetings of E.C. since September 2001. He didn’t demission. He didn’t answer to our appeals.

 

Preparations for the 9th G.A.
During the 22nd meeting of the Executive Committee of UMAR, which has been held in Athens
on 20 and 21 September 2002, we have had the honor to receive in our meeting Dr. Evangelos M. LYROUDIAS, who was delegated by the president of SADAS-PEA, and we have had the occasion to discuss on the next General Assembly of UMAR, which was foreseen to be held in Athens in November 2002, according to the invitation of the representative of your organisation during the 18th meeting which was held in Athens on 23-24 February 2001. Our colleague Arch. Vassilis GRIGORIADIS reiterated this invitation during the 20th meeting of EC and 8th General Assembly.

The delegates who were present at the 8th General Assembly thanked to SADAS-PEA for its invitation to host the 9th G.A. of UMAR, which is elective, and decided to hold it in November
2002 in Athens.

According to those reiterated invitations and decision of the G.A. of UMAR, we are involved for the organisation of the General Assembly and we’ve addressed to SADAS-PEA the letters in February, March, June and September, for overweening the details. But unfortunately, we didn’t receive any response or a confirmation from them.

Considering the situation, the E.C. of UMAR has been obliged to decide to postpone the G.A. meeting to 17-18 January 2003.

Considering that the official invitations and the related documents must be sent to the member associations three months before of the date of the G.A. (before 16 October) we asked to SADAS-PEA to define their definitive decision for the purpose of hosting the 9th G.A. of UMAR before the 10th of October.

We have stayed in relation with them until 26 October 2002. In the mean time, informed by the Communiqué no: 15 sent by the G.S. to all members, Ordine degli Architetti di Torino proposed itself for hosting the 9th General Assembly. In coordination with Salah HEGAB, President of UMAR we have decided to hold the meeting in Torino.

Once again we thank to O.A.Torino for hosting this meeting which makes us forget the same situation that we have lived in 1999 and 2000 because of last minute desistement of C.N.A.P.P.C

 

Communiqués of the General Secretary
The Communiqués are prepared and diffused by the G.S. each two or three months for informing the members on the evolutions and for creating the coordination of activities of UMAR. Because of this inactive period, only three has been published and diffused (Communiqué no:13 at the mid of February, Communiqué no:14 at the end of June and Communiqué no: 15 at the end of September)

Meeting of representatives of members of UMAR during UIA Congress in Berlin
During the 21st World Congress of U.I.A., on 26 July, we have had the occasion to hold a meeting of the representatives of the member countries who were present in Berlin. Those who participated to this unofficial meeting of UMAR was as below:

Albania :
Algeria :
Croatia :
Cyprus : Stavros PERDIOS
Egypt : Salah HEGAB
France : Jean François SUSINI, Patrice GENET
Greece :
Israel :
Italy : Sergio CAVALLO, Pietro Paolo MINCIO, Giorgio GIANI
Malta : David PACE, Antony Fenech VELLA
Mauritania :
Morocco : Elhaimer Abdellah Ibrahim, Benabdeljahl Abdelmoumen
Palestine : Shadi GHADBAN, Charles KIDESS
Portugal : Pedro GUILHERME, Joao AFONSO
Tunisia : Taoufik EL EUCH, Amir TURKI
Turkey : Arif SENTEK, Ahmet SÖNMEZ, Salih Z. PEKIN

We have had the honour to receive Mr. Vassilis SGOUTAS as the president of U.I.A. In his speech Mr. SGOUTAS mentioned that UIA is intended to support the regional organisations of architects. He reiterated his proposition concerning that UMAR participates to the Work Groups of U.I.A. We transmitted to him our decision of General Assembly in Larnaka, concerning to stop the works of UMAR which may be duplicated with UIA projects for avoiding a parallelism.

The members who were present in this unofficial meeting exposed the latest architectural events in their countries and their stands towards UMAR and UIA.

We have reiterated our decision in the G.A. (Larnaka) for supporting the candidature of member countries of UMAR for the different posts in UIA.

Listed below, you will find candidatures for UIA posts and member Countries/Colleagues of UMAR.

Président de l’UIA:
Taoufik EL EUCH (Tunisia) UMAR
Hisham ALBAKRI (Malaysia)
Andreas HEMPEL (Germany)
Jaime LERNER (Brazil) (elected)
Alejandro SOKOLOFF (Colombia)

Secrétaire Générale de l’UIA:
Jean-Claude RIGUET (France) UMAR elected
Trésorier de l’UIA:
Seif Allah A. ALNAGA (Egypte) UMAR
Donald J HACKL (Etats Unis) elected
Peter HANNA (Ireland)

Vice Presidency:
- Region I
- John WRIGHT (G. Britain)

- Region II
- Ahmed AL-GHAFARI (Syrie) UMAR
- Alexandru BELDIMAN (Romanie)
- Yuri GNEDOVSKI (Russie)

- Region III
- Miguel PEREIRA (Brazil)
- Mauricio RIVERO BORRELL (Mexique)

- Region IV
- Louise COX (Australia) elected

- Region V
- Seif Allah A. ALNAGA (Egypte) * UMAR
- Brian JOHNSON (Afrique du Sud)
- Gaétan SIEW (Mauritius) elected

Council Members of UIA:
- Region I (1 membre a élire – 1 post to be filled)
Jean-François QUELDERIE / Jean-Marie CHARPENTIER (France) UMAR (elected)
Luut RIENKS / Rob BUDDING ( Netherland)

- Region II (3 membres à élire – 3 posts to be filled)
Itzhak LIPOVETZKY-LIR/Uri ZERUBAVEL (Israel) UMAR
Süha ÖZKAN / Günhan DANISMAN (Turkey-Turquie) UMAR Elected
Elizabeth SIOLA/Nikos FINDIKAKIS (Greece-Grece) UMAR Elected

Ahmed AL-GHAFARI (Syrie)
Krzysztof CHWALIBOG / Ryszard JURKOWSKI (Poland)
Yuri GNEDOVSKI (*)/Alexander KOUDRIAVTSEV (Russie)
Zsolt JEKEL/ Laszlo MIKO (Hongrie)
Tomaz KANCLER/Martjaz BERTONCELI (Slovanie) elected

- Region III (3 membres à élire – 3 posts to be filled)
Jose Luis CORTES DELGADO/ Hector GIRON DE LA PENA (Mexico)
Jose A.SOTO PACHECO / Maria Eugenia VEGA (Costa Rica) elected
Jorge TAYLOR ZANETTI/Humberto ECHEVERRIA (Panama.)

- Region IV (3 membres à élire) – 3 posts to be filled
Sungjung CHOUGH/Lawrence KIM (Rep. Of KOREA) elected
Kazuo IWAMURA / George KUNHIRO (Japan) elected
Chunhua SONG / Kai CUI (P.Rep of China-Chine) elected
Surath WICKRAMASINGHE/Mihindu KEERTHIRATNE (Sri Lanka)
Roberto SIMON, Haroldo Pinheiro Villar de QUEIROZ (Brazil) elected
- Région V (0 membre à élire – 0 post to be filled )
Llewellyn Van WYK / Jan Willem RAS (*) (South Africa)
Donald Nwandou (Nigeria) elected
UIA 2008 VENUE
- TORINO / Italie (UMAR) elected
- Sevilla /SPAIN (UMAR)
- Busan / Corea
- Tokyo / Japan

Once more after Beijing, the solidarity of UMAR members played an important role in the elections of UIA.

 

Publication and diffusion of the Minutes of the Meeting of Deans.
The members of Commission of Schools and the G.S. has collect the missing information on presentation of schools of architecture and records of debates in the Meeting of Deans, made the corrections, prepared it for publication. This document (Book of the “Meeting of Deans of Schools of Architecture in Mediterranean basin”) has been published in 600 exemplars in June, and sent to all schools and association of architects of member countries in July. Publication and diffusion cost is 950 EURO. Selling prise is 5 EURO.

Activities of Committees, Commissions and Work Groups:
The Coordinators of Heritage Committee, Commission of Basic Missions of Architects, Commission of DICUMAR, Commission of Club UMAR, Commission of Schools of Architecture
will present their activity reports

Activities of ASYA-MED – (First Constitutive Meeting of the Association of Mediterranean Students and Young)
After having been postponed two times (in March and in May) the constitutive meeting of ASYA-MED (Association of Students and Young Architects in Mediterranean) has been held on 4-6 September 2002 in Cairo Egypt.

We are grateful to High Institute of Architecture of Egypt and Association of Egyptian Architects who hosted this meeting.

The representatives who participated to this meeting was as follows:
CYPRUS Stylianos PELEKANOS
EGYPT Asmaa Abdel ATY et Aly Nabil EL HAKIM, Ahmed Mohammed EL KARIM
GREECE Maria DROSSOU
MOROCCO Fayçal EL ABED EL ALAOUI et Amal HAMDOUCHI
TURKEY Humeyra AKKURT (Izmir) et Seden SAVAS (Adana)

The representatives of Spain, France, Israel, Malta, Palestine, Portugal and Tunisia couldn’t attend the meeting because of different reasons.

ALBANIA, ALGERIA, CROATIA, ITALY and MAURITANIA didn’t designate their representatives yet.

The Agenda of the Meeting was as follows:
1- Opening
2- Presentation of representatives on their countries
3- Discussions & amendment of the Statutes of ASYA-MED.
4- Establishment of an official Web-Site of ASYA-MED
5- Decision on the date and place of next meeting.
6- Miscellaneous
7- Press Release

Mr. Salah HEGAB president of UMAR, Dr. Soad KAFAFY President of Misr University, Arch. Sawsan El THOUKY, General Menager of HIAT, Arch. Mamdouh Abdel Rahman, ex president of S.E.A., Dr. Mamdouh Ebdel Karim Vice President of S.E.A. were also present in the meeting and most of them assisted the discussions on the Agenda.

Considering that whole of the expected representatives weren’t present, it is decided to continue to the meeting in an unofficially way and there weren’t the elections for the Executive Board and foundation of ASYA-MED didn’t been declared.

The representatives, during two days have discussed the main items of the Statutes and improved it.
For concluding they have taken the following decisions:
a- The proposal of representative of Egyptian Students and Young Architects for procuring an office and staff in Cairo has been considered as a very encouraging investment for ASYA-MED.
b- The proposal concerning that Cairo be the Headquarter of ASYA-MED has considered to be discussed and decided in the official constitutive meeting where the quorum be attended.
c- The Goals of ASYA-MED be redefined once again
d- The membership to ASYA-MED can be open to all Mediterranean Students and to the young architects below 40
e- English and French be the official languages of ASYA-MED
f- The General Assemblies be held in every two years,
g- The delegation will have the equal writes and every country will have one voice for the decisions.
h- The Executive Board will be composed of President, Vice President, General Secretary, Treasurer, a member who will be responsible of public relations, a member who will be responsible of communication and a member who will be responsible of cultural and technical activities.
i- Budget will include the incomes of registration, annual fees, activities incomes, support of UMAR and dons; expenses will cover the Budget of Secretariat and the expenses for communication and publications,
j- Considering that the participation is weak it is decided that the elections of the Executive Board be in the next constitutive general assembly where the quorum be attended.
k- The Constitutive General Assembly will be held in at most one-year time.
l- The Coordinators and representatives who were present in the meeting will share the tusks for preparing the constitutive General Assembly. A secretary will be elected by vote and by the mean of e-mail.
m- The draft of the Statutes amended as mentioned above, and signed by the present representatives, will be sent to all representatives of Mediterranean countries and to the associations of architects.
n- It is decided also to make an appeal to all association of architects requesting their support for the creation of ASYA-MED, for the nomination of the representatives of their countries.
o- Finally, it is decided that foundation of ASYA-MED cannot be declared in the conditions of weak participation and there will be no Press Release.

In its 22nd meeting in Athens, the E.C. has decided to send an appeal to all members for asking their support for ASYA-MED. It is requested that the ASYA-MED representatives of each member country be elected by the Association(s) of Students in Architecture or by the General Association of Students. In case that there isn’t any Association of Students, the Association of Architects may nominate the representative students in collaboration with the schools of architecture in their country by the appropriated way that they prefer. It is requested also that the Association of Architects contribute to the participation of the representatives to the next constitutive meeting of ASYA-MED.

Activities on Awards of Students’ Works
Considering the requests of Deans of Architectural Schools in Mediterranean basin, the 8th G.A. held in Larnaka has decided to organise a competition of project of idea and conception in each two years period.

A work group has been established composed of persons who will be nominated and mandated by Egypt, France and Tunisia. This Work Group should have the mission to define the modalities and regulations to be respected, as well as to constitute a project of Regulation to be submitted to the approval of E.C. in its next meeting that will be held in April 2002. But we didn’t receive any news from those member countries.

During the Meeting of Deans of Architectural Schools in November 2001, the President of Chamber of Architects of Antalya (Turkey) Arch. Recep ESENGIL, has proposed that the Chamber may be involved in this project for coordinating the tusks and guarantying the realisation. Since 4 month the Chamber of Architects has constituted a work group for preparing the regulations of “AWARDS of Student Works”.
This regulation has been studied during the 22nd E.C. Meeting and following decisions has been taken:

a- It is accepted that UMAR may establish an “AWARDS of Student Works” or a Competition in collaboration with the Chamber of Architects of Antalya (Turkey)
b- The E.C. will make a call to all members for asking their support for this project. UMAR has to write to all schools of architecture in Mediterranean region for initiating them to support this project.
c- General Secretary, who is already a member of Work Group of the Chamber of Architects of Antalya, is charged to establish the coordination between UMAR and the Chamber and to involve in the project for spreading it.
d- E.C. requests that the Chamber of Architects of Antalya revise the regulations that they have prepared to give it a more international sense and vocation.
e- In the limits of possibilities UMAR may contribute to the expenses of this project as previewed in its approved Budget-2002.
f- E.C. will request from member countries their proposals for the constitution of the jury and a jury member as previewed in regulations. After reception of candidatures from the members E.C. will decide on the name of the jury member that will be representing UMAR.

Activities on Summer Schools of UMAR
Unfortunately for the first time since 1995, there wasn’t any Summer School of UMAR organised this year.
We have received a promise of Ordine degli Architetti di Torino (OAT), during the 8th General Assembly, for organising a Summer School in Torino in the summer of 2002. We have received a confirmation (in July) when all the schools were closed. In the mean time, during the Berlin Congress the representatives of OAT transmitted a letter of Mr. Rodolfo ZICH, Vice-president of Torino International who was declaring to open a Summer School of UMAR in the summer of 2003

We have prepared a guide on How to organise a Summer Schools of UMAR for facilitating the tusks of those who organise and those who participates and send students. This Brochure is ready to be published.

Site Internet of UMAR
The site is opened in December 1998. The first version of the Site was in service in March 1999 on a limited provisory domain. The operators of Chamber of Architects of Izmir prepared this first version. Location of domain effectuated in May 1999.

In July ’99 the second version was launched: http//:www.umar.org

Following the proposition made by a delegate in the 6th G.A.
we are involved to prepare the independent pages for each member of UMAR, which contains limited information on them with names and addresses of persons who are in contact with UMAR. A facility is in service of members where they can place the number of information on architectural events going on in their countries. Only thing to do is to send us these information or to create in their country a Work Group which will manage the progress of their own pages.

Suite a une proposition faite par un délégué de 6eme A.G. nous avons établi les adresse de e-mail privé pour chaque membre du B.E., pour chaque Commission ou Groupe de Travail et pour chaque pays membres. Mais ce moyen est très peu utilisé par les membres.

Nous sommes en train de reformer le contenu du Site Internet. Il est dans évolution lente due a des difficultés de financement. Mais nous essayons de faire le meilleur pour le tenir toujours en service.

Les expectations professionnelles des opérateurs en ont fait que les travaux de mise en forme et actualisation du Site Internet de l’UMAR se perturbent parfois et assez souvent. Nous proposons qu’un budget doive être mis en place et un Comité qui assurera la gestion du Site doit être crée.

Suite aux travaux pour donner un nouveau visage et pour le reformer, qui ont duré 3 mois, le Site Internet de l’UMAR est remis en service depuis le 1 septembre 2001. Maintenant le monde peut mieux connaître UMAR, ses activités, son organisation, ses membres par l’intermédiaire de ce site.
Nous avons préparé des pages indépendants pour chaque membre de l’UMAR ou des informations restreintes sont placés avec les noms et les adresses des personnes en contact avec UMAR. Une possibilité est mise en service des membres qui leur permet d’y intégrer autant d’information sur les évènements architecturaux de leurs pays. Il suffit de nous envoyer ces informations ou de créer un groupe de travail dans leurs pays qui va gérer leurs pages individuelles. Mais ce moyen qui n’est pas utilisé par les membres.

Registration of UMAR
Since July 1994 UMAR hasn’t procured by an office in Athens, there isn’t any established official address; official registration of UMAR hasn’t been effectuated.
According to the decisions of 19th meeting of E.C. the procedures of official registration of UMAR in its headquarter in Athens continues. The official documents of UMAR has been submitted to the Greek Authorities by the Lawyer who is charged to establish these formalities. We hope that the registration will be accomplished soon.

By this occasion we remind once again that it is imperative that all member procures:
- The Statutes of Organisation of Architects or only the concerning article of their Statutes (in English or French) which allows their organisation to adhere in an international union.
(If there weren’t any article in their Statutes, the member organisation would have the obligation to take a decision in its General Assembly in a shortest period, which will allow the registration of UMAR.

Waiting to receive the Statutes from :
Algeria, Italy, Mauritania, Malta, Portugal, Israel and Tunisia
- We haven’t received until today an official confirmation of our Greek colleagues for an office, which can be used by UMAR as Headquarter.

We have learned by experience that during the procedures of registration, submitting a dossier to an international institution, even in case of sending materials abroad or opening an account in a bank etc. the engagements of members must be official.

This is the reason why we are preparing a form of declaration which includes the information and the engagement of the member organisation, which must be filled, signed and stamped by them.

Official Address of UMAR
During the first G.A. meeting of UMAR in Rethymnon (Crete-Greece) in 1994, at its foundation, SADAS-PEA (Greece) has declared that if the official Headquarter of UMAR is accepted to be in Athens, they will procure an office for the works of UMAR and for keeping its archives. Taking in consideration this declaration, members are accepted that the official Headquarter be in Athens for a period of 10 years.

8 years passed since its creation, but this office has never been given to the use of UMAR.

This is the reason why, UMAR utilises, by E.C. decision, the address of its President and its General Secretary as official address.

In the international context, for being official, a permanent address is requested for any organisation.

We are waiting an official confirmation of our Greek colleagues for an office, which can be used by UMAR as Headquarter.

(A sign of UMAR has been tried to be hanged to the door of an extension building of ICOMOS Panhélenic Headquarter during the 18th meeting of E.C.)

Archives of UMAR
Due to its Statutes its General Secretary guards the archives of UMAR. In January 1999 the outgoing General Secretary, Mr. Vassilis GRIGORIADIS has remitted to the new General Secretary the archives of UMAR containing 6 dossiers of minutes of General Assemblies, E.C. meetings and registries. Other documents and material are adding on related the projects of UMAR (Summer Schools, Exhibitions, Participation to the Congresses etc)

At the end of 2002 the volume of archives of UMAR reached to 1,50 m3 (nearly one tonne) containing the minutes, registries of 26 dossiers and published books, brochures, posters, panels, exhibition materials etc. It became too much cumbersome for to be guarded in a personal office of G.S. or even in the headquarter office of a member organisation. It contains all the dossiers that received the G.S. from his precedent. The number and volume of dossiers increase during the 4 year mission of the G.S. The G.S. draws attention on the difficulties to remit the existing archives to a new G.S. because of its volume and weight.

It is imperative that UMAR has an office in its Headquarter where all these material will be kept safely.

UMAR must resolve this important problem.

QUESTONNAIRE SURVEY : Survey on the situation of architecture on architectural organisations and on architects of Mediterranean countries,
Only ALBANIA, FRANCE, TURKEY, MALTA and MOROCCO have responded since its distribution to all members in 22 January 2000 the “Questionnaire” on the situation of Architects and Architecture in Mediterranean countries. We are waiting to receive the answers from all the other member countries.

The goal of this survey is to see in detail the situation of architects and the architecture in Mediterranean countries, to be able to compare it in between them and with the other countries of the world and draw lessons for defining the actual situation and the modes of action for improving it in the future.

It is obvious that without the response of every country we cannot evaluate a global sight of the situation of architects and Mediterranean architecture.

We are asking to the G.A. to take a decision on either giving up this survey, or to oblige the members to respond in the shortest time for finalising it. We draw the attention also, that this is not a continuous tusk but may be finished at once.

Once this survey may finish, the E.C., which considers that there isn’t any other better way to know the Mediterranean architect’s situation, is intended to put the results in a book form and to publish it.

UMAR Prize
The idea of awarding the UMAR Prize(s) isn’t new. This idea has been proposed at the 4th G.A. Meeting. This idea has been discussed once again at the 19th meeting of E.C. held in Cairo.

The E.C. during its 19th meeting of E.C. held in Cairo/Alexandria has decided that the propositions on awarding the architects and/or on their works with medals should have to be included to the Action Plan –2002 of UMAR and that the representatives of SEA (Society of Egyptian Architects) has proposed themselves to prepare a project of “Rules of UMAR’s Prize” to be submitted to the 8th G.A.

Establishing the UMAR Prize is also a proposition of the Meeting of Deans of Architectural Schools.

As there hasn’t been any project presented to E.C. there hasn’t been any progress occurred. If this proposal of “Rules of UMAR’s Prize” could have been presented to the 21st Meeting of the E.C. it can be presented to the G.A.

We are proposing that the G.A. form a Work Group composed of competent persons for preparing a “Regulation of UMAR Prize” and defines the criteria, duration of works, Means of works, the budget etc.

B- What the E.C. has realised during the last 4 years
Address Book
Resolving communication problems
Yearly Action Plans of UMAR
Publication of a Brochure on UMAR
Publication of the first issue of News Letter of UMAR
Preparation of an Exhibition on UMAR
Participation to the 20th World Congress of UIA in Beijing in 1999
Organisation of 10 Summer Schools
Participation to the Collegiums in Egypt
Participation to the Collegiums in Tunisia
Survey works on the Architecture Schools in Mediterranean region
Publication of Catalogue of Architecture Schools in Mediterranean region
1st Meeting of the Deans of the Mediterranean Schools of the Architecture
1st Exhibition on Mediterranean Architecture
2nd Exhibition on Mediterranean Architecture
3rd Exhibition on Mediterranean Architecture
Symposium on Social Role of Architects in Montpellier
Participation to the 21stWorld Congress of UIA in Berlin in 2002
Creation of Web-Site of UMAR
Voyages between architects

Finally, we can say, without being timid, neither modest, without having proud or ambitious we may declare with an honor to be the initiators of;
- Realizing so much with so much limited means,
- Putting the liner in upper position without loosing the views its real means
- Enlarging and fortifying UMAR
- Saving the fragile equilibrium between the members,
- Opening the horizons also large
- Being ambitious and propellers together

Before concluding this Report, I might thank once again, to all those members who contributed to the activities and participated to the actions of UMAR, and to those who believes to the Mediterranean and architectural solidarity and collaboration and to those who accepts to be the rammers or the winds for bringing the UMAR’s boat to a safe port for the goods of humanity.

I thank also to all the members of the Executive Committee who worked with huge sacrifice, even some of them couldn’t brought their contributions till to end of this 4 year period session; to their substitutes who were always ready to act as the members, to the Coordinators of Committees, Commissions and Work Groups who realized the big jobs.

Salah E. HEGAB
President of UMAR