INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES AND THEIR ROLE IN CONSERVATION:

1. UNESCO:

• Stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.

• Started as early as 1942, it is a specialized agency dedicated to strengthening our
shared humanity through the promotion of education, science, culture, and
communication.
UNESCO World Heritage:

• The 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and
Natural Heritage recognizes that certain places on Earth are of "outstanding
universal value" and should form part of the common heritage of humankind.

• UNESCO) seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of

cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding
value to humanity.
• This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the
Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972.
• Today, 195 countries adhere to the World Heritage Convention.
World Heritage Committee:

• The World Heritage Committee meets once a year, and consists of representatives
from 21 of the States Parties to the Convention elected by their General
Assembly. India is currently one among the 21 states.
 • The Committee is responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage
Convention, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial
assistance upon requests from States Parties.
UNESCO World Heritage List:

• A total of 1223 properties.

• 952 cultural, 231 natural and 40 mixed properties.
• India is home to 43 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including cultural, natural, and
mixed locations. The latest addition in 2024 is Assam's "Moidams – the Mound-
Burial System of the Ahom Dynasty."

• Ajanta Caves, Ellora caves, Agra fort and Taj Mahal were the first sites from India to
be listed in 1983.
• Of the 43, 35 designated for cultural importance, seven recognized for natural beauty,
and one - Khangchendzonga National Park - praised for its blend of culture and
nature.

Tholung monastery in the buffer Khangchendzonga National Park

zone of KBR
 Khangchendzonga sacred Pupils at the monastery
landscape

• India has the 6th largest number of heritage sites globally.

SELECTION CRITERIA:

(i) to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius;

Eg. Great living Chola temples

(ii) to exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a
cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts,
town-planning or landscape design;
Eg. Great living Chola temples

(iii) to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a

civilization which is living or which has disappeared;

Eg. Great living Chola temples

(iv) to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological

ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history;

Eg. Great living Chola temples

(v) to be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use
which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the
environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible
change;

Eg. Rock shelters of Bhimbetka.

(vi) to be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or
with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The
Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other
criteria);
Eg. Ajanta caves

(vii) to contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty

and aesthetic importance;

Eg. Manas wildlife sanctuary.

(viii) to be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including

the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms,
or significant geomorphic or physiographic features;
Eg. Great Barrier reef, Australia
(ix)

to be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological

processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine
ecosystems and communities of plants and animals;
Eg. Kaziranga National Park

(x)

to contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of
biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding
universal value from the point of view of science or conservation.
Eg. Kaziranga National Park
A Tentative List is an inventory of those properties which each State Party intends to
consider for nomination.

World Heritage Cities:

The World Heritage Cities Programme aims to assist States Parties in the challenges of
protecting and managing their urban heritage.

2. ICCROM:

• Headquartered in Rome, Italy, ICCROM stands for International Centre for the
Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property.
• 138 member states.
• ICCROM is an intergovernmental organization working in service to its Member
States to promote the conservation of all forms of cultural heritage in every region
of the world.
 • Working at the international and governmental levels, and with institutions
and professionals on the ground, the organization engages and informs new
generations of professionals and the general public with an interest in heritage.
• Those working on the front lines of heritage preservation, including scientists,
conservators, museum curators, site managers, archivists, researchers and
archaeologists, rely on ICCROM for its world-class initiatives in
conservation training, information, research, cooperation and advocacy.
• The organization provides technical assistance to its Member States through
sharing teaching materials, information, workshops and training opportunities

HISTORY:

• Created in the aftermath of the Second World War in response to widespread

destruction and the urgent need to reconstruct cultural property.
• 1956 - 9th Session of the UNESCO General Conference in New Delhi, an
intergovernmental centre to study and improve restoration methods was adopted.
Thus, ICCROM was born.
• 1959 - Following an agreement with the Italian government, the Centre was
established in Rome.
• Early activities included the preservation of ancient tombs in the Nile Valley,
restoration of mural paintings in the churches of Moldavia, development of the
national conservation research centre in India, and protecting cultural heritage
following floods or earthquakes in Guatemala, Italy and Montenegro.
• In the early 1960s, the Centre organized its first courses in the conservation of
historic towns and buildings in collaboration with the University of Rome. This was
followed by other regular annual courses.

MISSION:

ICCROM’s mission is to provide Member States with the best tools, knowledge, skills and
enabling environment with which to preserve their cultural heritage in all of its forms, for
the benefit of all people.

VISION:

ICCROM’s vision is for a world in which cultural heritage – its preservation, protection and
celebration – is inextricably linked with notions of progress, inclusivity, well-being and
stability.
ICCROM Today:

• Promotes an interdisciplinary approach to conservation, engaging the expertise of

scientists, conservators, restorers, archaeologists, art historians, curators, architects,
engineers and city planners.
• Engages in flagship publications, new guidelines and international training
programmes.
• Regular courses and workshops have expanded in focus, now including topics
ranging from the conservation of museum, library and archive collections to
historic structures in stone, brick, wood or earthen architecture, archaeological
sites, historic urban areas and cultural landscapes

Role in Conservation:

ICCROM has world-class initiatives in conservation training, information, research,

cooperation and advocacy.
TRAINING:

• Develops innovative educational programmes, tools and materials for conservation

and restoration.
• Organizes professional training activities around the world.
INFORMATION:

• ICCROM has one of the world’s leading conservation libraries.

• Contains over 120000 books, reports and specialized journals in more than 70
languages, over 200000 images of sites and objects and various testimonies of its
training, scientific and field activities over the years

RESEARCH:

• Influences the research agenda of cultural conservation institutions

• Coordinates knowledge sharing and creates collaborative environments where
researchers can meet.

COOPERATION:

• International, interregional and interdisciplinary cooperation by gathering

diverse experts and institutions from around the world to offer technical advice,
education and training, and to conduct site visits.

ADVOCACY:

• Dedicated to raising awareness and support for conservation and restoration at

all levels, from global bodies to governments to communities.
ICCROM’s contribution as an advisory body:

As an advisory body to the world heritage committee,

• ICCROM helps implement World Heritage convention.

• Improves the management of their World Heritage properties through capacity
building and advisory assistance.

ICCROM with the help of ICOMOS helps in

• monitoring the state of conservation of cultural World Heritage properties;

• reviewing requests for International Assistance submitted by States Parties; and
• providing input and advisory support to States Parties to the World Heritage
Convention.

3. ICOMOS:
 • ICOMOS is an international, non-governmental organisation that works for the
conservation of monuments and sites around the world.
• ICOMOS stands for International Council on Monuments and Sites.
ICOMOS in numbers:

• Over 12000 members in over 130 countries and territories.

• Over 250 institutional members.
• Over 110 ICOMOS national committees
• Over 30 ICOMOS International Scientific committees and working groups.

HISTORY:

• ICOMOS was founded on the 22nd of June 1965 in Warsaw one year after the
adoption of the Venice Charter of 1964.
• The Warsaw General Assembly is known as Constitutive Assembly as its purpose
was the constitution of the association of specialists.
• The Constitutive Assembly established ICOMOS’ initial Statutes, including its name,
aim and membership, all of which were adopted by vote.

MISSION:

• To promote the conservation, protection, use and enhancement of monuments, built

environments, and cultural heritage places by developing standards of good practice,
thereby creating reference texts as well as in evolving, promoting and sharing ideas.
• As an advisory body to UNESCO, they review nominations for cultural and mixed
World Heritage Sites.

VALUES:

• Diversity and Inter-disciplinarity:

Diverse range of people from civil servants to academic researchers to private sector
employees, work together in a spirit of collegiality, respecting one another’s diverse
professional and technical knowledge, across cultures and belief systems.
 • Impartiality:
They rely on members whose professional experience and expertise, technical know-
how and independence allows them to work with impartiality and according to a
shared ethical code.
• Exchanges and Solidarity:
During major natural disasters and conflicts, ICOMOS’ experts and specialists are
mobilised to develop emergency measures for preserving, conserving and restoring
damaged or at-risk heritage. This is also evidenced by their role as a founding
member of the Blue Shield
• Empowering next generation:
A key part of the mission at ICOMOS is to raise awareness of heritage and related
challenges, and to exchange knowledge and know-how between generations.

• Access to information:
Free and unrestricted access to scientific knowledge is fundamental to good heritage
conservation. To enable this, they have their own open access archive
platform, PUBLICOMOS

General Assemblies:

• The General Assembly has supreme authority over ICOMOS and its activities.
• All members have the right to attend ICOMOS’ General Assemblies.
• They may also be designated as a voting member (for the election of the Board of
ICOMOS, and ICOMOS’ resolutions) for a General Assembly.
• There are two kinds of General Assembly at ICOMOS: an annual assembly, and a
triennial assembly (i.e., every three years)
• Annual General assembly: Focuses on the approval of statutory reports and
accounts, which cover the organisation’s well-being and financial situation, and
voting on the budget for the coming year.
• Triennial General assembly: Focuses on the election of the Board and officers; the
adoption of doctrinal texts; the ICOMOS General Programme and budgetary
guidelines; the proposal of resolutions for adoption by ICOMOS; and the conferral of
Honorary Memberships.

Blue Shield:

ICOMOS is one of the four founding members of the Blue Shield, established in 1996 to
protect heritage around the world during emergencies such as armed conflict, natural and
man-made disasters.

Together, with other founding members, ICOMOS sits on the Board of the Blue
Shield. ICOMOS elects a representative every three years to represent them on the Blue
Shield Board.