Committee Background
The ICOMOS International Wood Committee (IIWC) is one of the 28 international specialized expert committees of ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites). IIWC was established in 1975.
Objective
The objective of IIWC is to promote international cooperation in the field of preservation of wood in buildings and structures and to advise on the development of ICOMOS programs in this field.
Activities
IIWC shall accomplish its objective by providing a forum for the interchange of experience, ideas, knowledge, and the results of research between administrators, architects, engineers, historians, legislators, and other professionals. Further, IIWC aims to coordinate existing studies, to promote further studies, to extend technical cooperation, and to establish links with specialized institutions or industrial organizations in appropriate fields.
The activities of IIWC include the organization of meetings, the preparation of publications, and the gathering and dissemination of information. International symposia have been organized in Sweden (1977), France (1979), Switzerland (1980), Canada (1982), Norway (1983), Bulgaria (1985), Russia (1988), Nepal (1992), Japan (1994), UK (1996) and China (1998).
A small Management Group has the responsibility to realize the approved plan of activity. The Management Group is elected by the IIWC members during the ICOMOS General Assembly which is held every three years.
Membership
IIWC is open to all experts of various professional backgrounds who have experience, knowledge, or particular interest in the preservation of wood in historic buildings or structures. Interested persons should send their membership application, including a curriculum vitae, to the ICOMOS National Committee in their country or directly to the President of IIWC.
IIWC has two types of membership: corresponding members (persons who are members of ICOMOS) and co-opted members (persons who are non-members of ICOMOS, but eminent specialists whose work could serve to enrich that of IIWC).
