At the General Assembly 2023 in Sydney, the theme of “Disaster and Conflict Resilient Heritage - Preparedness, Response and Recovery” was chosen as the theme for the Triennial Scientific Plan 2024-2027. As ICOMOS develops a roadmap for capacity building for “disaster and conflict resilient heritage” for its members and the wider heritage community and gets ready to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Venice Charter (31 May 2024), we look back on our shared inheritance from this very charter, and ahead as we ask ourselves what the pragmatic needs of heritage practice are today.

ICOMOS and ICCROM, through its Regional Office in Sharjah (ICCROM-Sharjah, U.A.E.) have officially released a new publication gathering Arabic translations of international charters and declarations related to preserving and restoring cultural heritage. The book, titled International Charters for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Historical Sites, is an essential text for practitioners, researchers and legislators who seek a comprehensive overview of heritage conservation texts at the international level.

This page provides information on the situation in Gaza and Israel.

For sharing additional information or signaling an omission, contact crisisresponse@icomos.org. 

To stay up to date, you can follow the official pages of ICOMOS Palestine (website, Facebook) and ICOMOS Israel (website, Facebook).

Following ICOMOS’ appeal on 17 October, and in the face of the increasingly distressing developments over the last months, ICOMOS again expresses its sadness and horror at the unacceptable and unconscionable price being paid by civilians, in particular children, and at the destruction of cultural, archaeological and living heritage, since the present round of this conflict began over two months ago.

Climate change is a global problem which requires a global response. At the end of every year, governments from around the world meet at the UNFCCC Conference of Parties (or COP) to agree targets and work together for climate action. Increasingly, these conversations are acknowledging the importance of cultural heritage, reflecting the longstanding ICOMOS belief that culture is integral to meaningful and human-centred climate action. This belief lies at the heart of an exciting new ICOMOS-based project which is bringing together heritage professionals from around the world to share experiences and work together for long-term, sustainable change.

ICOMOS, in partnership with the African World Heritage Fund, is currently developing a Capacity Building programme whose aim is to enhance the professional expertise of African heritage professionals to be involved in World Heritage processes.