Australia ICOMOS invites our global colleagues to join a special Marker Event to acknowledge the excellent work and wonderful support for the 20th Triennial General Assembly and Scientific Symposium of ICOMOS that could not be hosted in Sydney in 2020.

The GA2020 Marker Event will be held online on Wednesday 7 October 2020 from 8.00pm AEDT (Sydney / Canberra), 11:00 am CEST (Paris), 5:00 am EDT (New York).

At present, monuments of colonialists, oppressors and racists are being toppled in many countries around the world. A common theme within these responses is a demand for change in how we memorialize and represent history and how officially designated heritage specifically addresses racism, colonialism, enslavement and oppression.

Joining the debate spearheaded by organisations such as SAH, Historic England, The Architectural League, National Trust for Historic Preservation and others, and in order to remain a globally active and relevant organization, ICOMOS hosted a virtual workshop initiated by the EPWG (Emerging Professionals Working Group) and ICOMOS Germany’s AG2020 Working Group. The workshop took place on 19 July 2020 and was attended by members from a broad range of ICOMOS National Committees, International Scientific Committees and Working Groups.

As part of their joint mission to Beirut (14-16 September 2020), Marie-Laure Lavenir (ICOMOS), Peter Keller (ICOM) and Valéry Freland (ALIPH) had working meetings with the Director General of Antiquities (DGA) of Lebanon, the heads of several museums and libraries, and many representatives of civil society, including, in particular, the Lebanese committees of ICOM, ICOMOS, and the Blue Shield.

ICOMOS mourns the passing of John Hurd, former President of the ICOMOS Advisory Committee, who contributed to ICOMOS with unwavering dedication in many capacities.

An online course on climate change and risk assessment for cultural heritage is being offered by ICOMOS Argentina, La Plata City Foundation and the Heritage and Climate Change Initiative, within the framework of the "New approaches to cultural and natural heritage” programme. The first edition starts on 10 August 2020, and will be available in Spanish and Portuguese. The second edition of the course will begin in October and will also be available in English.