International Organizations for Cultural Heritage Preservation
ICCROM: International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property
Created in Rome in 1959 as an intergovernmental agency, ICCROM provides technical assistance to countries and organizations for the conservation of protected cultural property.
ICOMOS: International Council on Monuments and Sites
Founded in 1965 to promote the Charter of Venice, ICOMOS is responsible for assessing the World Heritage Committee and UNESCO. It conducts studies and reports on the state of conservation of monuments and archaeological sites.
ICOM: International Council of Museums
Founded in 1946, ICOM is an organization dedicated to the promotion and development of museums and the museum profession internationally. It fosters studies and discussion forums on issues affecting the conservation and promotion of heritage worldwide and provides advice to UNESCO.
OWHC: Organization of World Heritage Cities
Established in 1993, OWHC develops a spirit of solidarity and close cooperation between World Heritage Cities to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and administrative techniques for the protection of monuments and sites.
Council of Europe
Founded in 1949 to promote the union of continental European countries under the principles of political democracy, the Council of Europe is headquartered in Strasbourg. It is an organization sensitive to cultural issues and pays special attention to promoting awareness of European cultural identity and cultural heritage. The Council of Europe stands out for its continued work in raising awareness of cultural and natural heritage protection in Europe, articulated through Five-Year Plans. It also supports museums through the institution of the award “European Museum of the Year”. It has also developed a campaign called “Europe, a Common Heritage”, which aims to promote cultural exchange to facilitate the discovery of the continent’s cultural richness and diversity.
The European Union (EU)
Founded in 1957 by the Treaty of Rome as the Economic Community and converted in 1992 into the European Union by the Maastricht Treaty, the European Union joined an explicit commitment towards the cultural heritage of member countries to undertake cultural competence. Since 1992, the EU has made a commitment to strengthen the feeling of belonging to Europe while respecting the diversity of national traditions and cultures. Based on Article 128 of the European Union Treaty, the Commission proposed a specific program of action related to cultural heritage, the “Raphael Program”, focused on:
- Protecting the architectural heritage of the EU
- Promoting conservation and restoration
- Encouraging the development of transnational cooperation between institutions and cultural operators
- Improving access to European cultural heritage
- Promoting the active participation of the general public in its conservation
- Promoting the aims and development of new techniques
- Ensuring that other programs and policies take into account the heritage dimensions
- Encouraging cooperation with third countries