ICOMOS - International Organisation
In 1965, the member countries of UNESCO convened in Warsaw to sign the International Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites, based on the principles established in the Venice Charter (1964), establishing the creation of an International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS - https://www.icomos.org/en) for their defence and conservation. Thus, ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) is an international non-governmental organisation linked to UNESCO, devoted to the promotion of theory, methodology and technology applied to the conservation, protection and valorization of cultural heritage. Its International Secretariat’s seat is situated in Paris, France. The international organisation of ICOMOS is made up of 110 National Committees (NCs) representing the interests of the organisation at local level. These National Committees enable specialists from individual countries to take part in ICOMOS activities, including the missions delegated to ICOMOS by UNESCO. They also serve as forums to discuss and exchange views on both theoretical and practical matters in connection with heritage management practices from legislation to the exact realisation of certain conservation or restoration projects. The annual meetings of the ICOMOS Advisory Committee allows National Committees to directly affect the ICOMOS programme priorities with the possibility of volunteering for the responsibility of any part of the programme with significant relevance to their own country. Finally the National Committees locally implement the proposed programmes of the Board following the Dubrovnik Valletta principles for the National Committees of ICOMOS.
As published on its website, ICOMOS displays a series of characteristic values, including:
“-Cultural and social diversity, collegiality: from around the world, with diverse and complementary professional backgrounds, researchers, scientists, heritage lawyers, economists, engineers, artisans, professionals, academics, private consultants, elected officials, state representatives, etc.., pool ideas and expertise in a spirit of collegiality and respect for their cultural and religious differences.
-Impartiality: As an NGO, ICOMOS is one of the three Advisory Bodies of the World Heritage Convention. In order to provide the World Heritage Committee with evaluations, it relies on a network of experts chosen for their expertise and experience, who offer their technical advice independently and following ethical guidelines.
-Exchanges between countries, North-South dialogue, solidarity: ICOMOS, like any organisation linked to UNESCO's mission, endeavours to connect peoples and cultures. With this aim, the Victoria Falls Fund was created in 2003 to facilitate the mobility of members from developing countries. In addition, during major natural disasters, ICOMOS experts and specialists provide assistance developing emergency measures for the preservation, conservation and restoration of heritage (Haiti, China, Iran, etc.). It is also a founding member of the Blue Shield.
-Transmission and youth involvement: ICOMOS' mission is to raise heritage awareness. It participates in training activities and involves young researchers and professionals in its issues and actions. The Raymond Lemaire International Fund awards scholarships to young hopefuls to complete their education or add to their professional experiences.
-Free Access to Information: Finally, ICOMOS supports free and unrestricted open access to scientific publications through the project "ICOMOS Open Archive: EPrints on Cultural Heritage".
The following list provides the dates of adhesion and links to the websites of ICOMOS National Committees of the countries in current research:
United Kingdom (1965 - https://icomos-uk.org)
France (1965 - http://france.icomos.org
)
Germany (1965 - https://www.icomos.de)
Hungary (1965 - https://www.icomos.hu
)
Spain (1980 - https://icomos.es)
Poland (1981 - http://www.icomos-poland.org/en/
)
Greece (1989 - https://www.icomoshellenic.gr), and
Slovenia (1993 - http://en.icomos.si
).