ICCROM-Sharjah and Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH) Pursue Joint Training
From 28 January to 3 February, ICCROM-Sharjah and ARCWH implemented a joint training activity in Bahrain. This short course had 16 participants and covered topics such as conservation principles and heritage management, as well as risk management to World Heritage sites.
Unite4Heritage Courses Bring Together Emergency and Cultural Heritage Responders
ICCROM was invited to lead half-day sessions in courses organized on 4 June and 17 December by the Italian Comando Carabinieri Tutela Patrimonio Culturale. The courses trained mixed teams of cultural heritage and emergency management professionals for providing first aid to cultural heritage damaged by armed conflicts and disasters. The sessions focused on enhancing in-field coordination between various actors in order to reduce risks to cultural heritage.
European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations Supports Culture Cannot Wait Initiative
On 27 November, the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) approved a project to develop common standard operating procedures for providing first aid to cultural heritage in times of crisis. This initiative will create a European inter-operable asset that can be activated to provide technical assistance during natural hazard events through DG ECHO. The project is coordinated by the Italian Civil Protection and supported by multiple partners including the Ministry of Interior of France, the Turkish Civil Protection, the Ministry of Culture of Spain and ICCROM.
European Forum Proposes Disaster Risk Reduction Recommendationsv
At the technical meeting on the implementation of the Sendai Framework for disaster risk reduction held in Rome on 21 November, ICCROM was invited to provide an overview of challenges and opportunities in building capacity for disaster risk management for cultural heritage while highlighting its own experience. In preparing for the panel, ICCROM helped draft recommendations for enhancing disaster risk management for cultural heritage. The recommendations were presented to European policy makers and heads of governments attending the forum.
Workshop Supports Strengthening Capacities of Heritage Professionals in Arab Region
Strengthening Capacities of World Heritage Professionals in the Arab Region for Cultural and Mixed Sites, a capacity- building pilot workshop, took place on 9–13 December in Bahrain. ICCROM’s World Heritage Leadership programme provided information to the participants on overall heritage management, climate change/disaster risk preparedness and heritage impact assessment.
This activity’s objective is to nurture professionals who will be more engaged in the working processes of Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage Convention. Project partners include ICCROM, ICOMOS and the UNESCO Category 2 Centre Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH).
Robben Island Meeting Reviews Protected Areas Toolkit
The Enhancing Our Heritage Toolkit for Protected Area Managers is based on the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) framework. ICCROM and IUCN have been updating the toolkit to support management of both natural and cultural World Heritage Sites. The planning meeting on 16–17 October achieved progress in developing the toolkit further to include socio-economic context and governance aspects.
Testing took place on 20–23 November with the cooperation of the Robben Island Museum office and staff members. The currently adapted version of the toolkit was applied in full to the Robben Island management structure. The process highlighted strengths and weaknesses of the existing tool, leading towards its further adaptation for cultural sites.
ICCROM’s collaborating partners for this project are IUCN and the Robben Island Museum.
