ICOMOS: 60 Years of Leadership in Heritage Preservation

In the beginning was…

For 60 years, our organization has stood out as a global leader in the field of cultural heritage, combining scientific expertise, multicultural collaboration, and adaptability to emerging challenges.

Founded in 1965 in Warsaw, Poland, in response to the growing need for international cooperation in the conservation of cultural heritage – particularly in the post-war reconstruction context – ICOMOS has since embodied an unwavering commitment to safeguarding cultural heritage as an essential value to be passed on to future generations.

Its foundation built upon the principles set forth in the 1964 Venice Charter, which remains today a key global reference for heritage conservation. While all its principles are still relevant, three in particular have deeply shaped ICOMOS’s development over its 60 years: our “common responsibility to safeguard them for future generations”, our duty [to transmit it] in the full richness of [its] authenticity”, and our mission to develop jointly identified and formulated approaches and methods “on an international basis, with each country being responsible for applying the plan within the framework of its own culture and traditions.”.

Serving the Science of Conservation: ICOMOS Committees and Working Groups

ICOMOS operates globally through its 12,000 individual members from 132 countries and territories, organized into 110 national committees, 31 international scientific committees, and five international working groups.

These scientific committees, the heart of ICOMOS, are hubs of exchange bringing together experts from around the world. They conduct research, develop theories and methodologies on specific themes, draft charters and guidelines, and identify best practices for heritage management and conservation, including the use of new technologies.

Their work demonstrates the relevance of these methodologies, such as the 1996 ICOMOS Charter on the Protection and Management of Underwater Cultural Heritage, which established best practices for underwater archaeological activities and served as the basis for UNESCO’s 2001 Convention on Underwater Cultural Heritage.

Their advocacy – such as the 2024 initiative from the International Scientific Committee on Aerospace Heritage (ISCoAH) regarding lunar heritage protection – highlights ICOMOS’s ongoing innovation in conservation strategies. Climate resilience tools developed by the Climate Action Working Group (CAWG) further confirm the need to strengthen the link between cultural heritage and climate sciences.

Since the first scientific committee was created in 1966, new committees and working groups, addressing topics such as energy, sustainable development, and indigenous peoples, have continuously renewed ICOMOS’s relevance in today’s global scientific discussions.

Strategic Alliances and Partnerships

Since its inception, ICOMOS has sought partnerships with NGOs (IUCN, ICOM, OWHC, Getty, TICCIH, Docomomo, etc.) and intergovernmental organizations (UNESCO, Council of Europe, European Institutions, ICCROM, World Bank, etc.) to promote inclusive heritage protection policies respectful of cultural diversity. Since 1972, ICOMOS has served as an advisory body to the World Heritage Committee, playing a vital role in identifying, evaluating, and monitoring World Heritage sites globally. More recently, numerous projects have emerged with partners such as the African World Heritage Fund, ALIPH, National Geographic Society, Europa Nostra, Davos Alliance, Climate Heritage Network (CHN), Historic England, and the International National Trust Organisation (INTO), among others.

Heritage for All: ICOMOS’s Holistic and Human-Centered Approach

ICOMOS has continually addressed new challenges and research areas such as safeguarding cities and villages, protecting and enhancing archaeological and underwater heritage, conserving gardens, developing the cultural landscape concept, sustainable development, indigenous knowledge, and the ethical use of technology. From climate change to conflicts and natural disasters, ICOMOS has adapted its approaches to protect endangered heritage. Concerned with improving emergency heritage protection in armed conflicts, natural, and human-made disasters, ICOMOS partnered in 1996 with the International Council on Archives (ICA), the International Council of Museums (ICOM), and the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) to create Blue Shield International. The International Day for Monuments and Sites, launched on April 18, 1982, annually promotes heritage awareness and intercultural exchange.

Workshops, seminars, and conferences are regularly organized worldwide, with particular attention to emerging professionals. Many studies, reports, and recommendations are published in multiple languages on the PUBLICOMOS platform, which lists documents in over 50 languages and offers a complete catalog of ICOMOS publications since 1965. Notable examples include the 1987-1993 Global Study that informed the 1994 Global Strategy of the World Heritage Committee for a more balanced, representative, and credible World Heritage List, and the 2019 publication “The Future of Our Pasts: Engaging Cultural Heritage in Climate Action”, now a global reference for site managers, scientists, researchers, climate advocates, and policymakers.

In 2007, ICOMOS began reflecting on rights-based approaches to heritage conservation and management in response to a growing awareness of human rights. This led in 2011 to the creation of the Our Common Dignity – Rights-Based Approaches (OCD-RBA) working group, with members from Norway, India, South Africa, and Australia, and support from other Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage Convention (ICCROM, IUCN). Following the 2013 Pretoria Declaration – which asserted that human rights must be central to heritage conservation – the 2018 ICOMOS General Assembly adopted the Buenos Aires Declaration, encouraging members to respect the free, prior, and informed consent of communities and to involve rights-holders at every stage of heritage management. Since then, the OCD-RBA group has been developing practical resources to help heritage professionals integrate human rights into their work. Initially focused on World Heritage, the RBA approach now applies broadly to all cultural heritage, with particular attention to conflict memory, minorities, and indigenous peoples.

A Multidisciplinary and Impartial Approach

For 60 years, ICOMOS has provided indisputable scientific leadership through a multidisciplinary and international approach. ICOMOS sets international standards that enhance professionalism in the field, such as the 2022 International Cultural Heritage Tourism Charter and the 2024 International Charter and Guidance on Sites with Intangible Cultural Heritage. The interaction between members and experts from around the world enriches solutions through a diversity of approaches. ICOMOS members develop approaches independently, based on scientific and technical criteria, ensuring the unquestionable credibility of their work.

Finally, ICOMOS represents a global knowledge-sharing network that helps train the next generation of heritage professionals. Its initiatives go beyond specialists to include local communities and indigenous peoples, because heritage is a shared wealth for all.

ICOMOS Action Priorities

In today’s world, the context in which we operate has evolved, and new challenges and perspectives must be considered in cultural heritage protection: sustainable development, culture as a standalone objective in the post-2030 UN agenda, indigenous knowledge, local community resilience, technological innovation and integration, and the growing need for ethical technology use in the conservation and restoration of monuments. We must act and adapt to climate change by highlighting heritage-based solutions. The effects of climate on heritage sites demand robust strategies beyond the 2030 agenda. Protecting heritage in conflict or crisis zones, and supporting our members, remains a major challenge for ICOMOS.

Ultimately, ICOMOS’s role is to bring together international experts to address these new perspectives and challenges and to shape the future of cultural heritage. By sharing ICOMOS’s best practices and knowledge, we help integrate heritage preservation into broader sustainable development initiatives, ensuring that heritage remains a vital part of community life.

 

                                                                                                           Teresa Patrício, President of ICOMOS