Dear ICOMOS members and friends, 

I have the pleasure of informing you that the ICOMOS Board, in agreement with the Advisory Committee officers, has accepted the generous offer by Australia ICOMOS to host the 2023 triennial ICOMOS General Assembly in Sydney. 

Following the difficult decision our Australian colleagues had to make with regards to the GA2020 - into which they had invested an impressive amount of energy, planning and funds - we are extremely grateful to Australia ICOMOS and all its members for making this alternative proposal in a record time, transforming a disappointing situation into a positive perspective, and for their constant commitment to ICOMOS. 

Karima Bennoune, United Nations Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, recently addressed a call for inputs for a report on “Cultural Rights and Climate Change” to be presented at the United Nations General Assembly in October 2020. The Special Rapporteur believes it is critical to think more broadly about the relationship between culture and cultural rights on the one hand, and addressing climate change on the other.

ICOMOS and Europa Nostra have announced a new collaboration to develop a “European Heritage Green Paper” on the issue of cultural heritage and climate change. The Paper focuses on the role of cultural heritage in achieving the ambitions of the European Green Deal (EGD).

Among the mass of information circulating concerning COVID-19, one hopeful message issued by credible medical publications is that an effective vaccine could probably be developed within the next 18 months. This would be the shortest development period for a vaccine in human history. Nevertheless, 18 months is still a very long way to go - a marathon race with the zero-infections stage as its finish line. To make this race sustainable, some countries are already relaxing the restrictions they have imposed and gradually allowing economic activities to resume, while others will have to maintain or introduce strict measures.

ICOMOS has received the following statement from Australia ICOMOS, advising that owing to present restrictions and future uncertainties resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, they are unable to host the General Assembly in Sydney in October 2020.

On 18 April, we celebrated the International Day for Monuments and Sites with the theme of "Shared Cultures, Shared Heritage, Shared Responsibility". However, this 18 April was not like in previous years. With the world almost entirely under lockdown, no gatherings, guided tours or trips were allowed. But that did not stop heritage experts and enthusiasts from all over the planet to celebrate our monuments and sites through the organisation of online events: conferences, challenges, virtual meetings and many other innovative initiatives.

ICOMOS would like to thank you, the organisers, contributors and participants, for your enthusiasm and your resilience.