The main cultural assets of Norway

Norway has a rich history of cultural and natural heritage. The knowledge and traditions based on our heritage are important parts of the protection and development of our society. Our cultural heritage is managed by two ministries; The Ministry of Culture and Equality is responsible for museums and intangible cultural heritage; whereas the Ministry of Climate and Environment is responsible for tangible cultural heritage, and also for the management of natural heritage.

The legal framework on cultural heritage conservation

Cultural heritage conservation in Norway is mainly guided and regulated by the Cultural Heritage Act and the Planning and Building Act. In addition, Norway has ratified several international conventions on the protection of cultural heritage, for instance the 1972 World Heritage Convention, the 1954 Hague Convention, the 2003 Intangible Heritage Convention, the 2005 Convention on Cultural Diversity and the 2005 Faro Convention.

The cultural and natural sites on the World Heritage List

The Ministry of Climate and Environment has the main responsibility for World Heritage in Norway. The Directorate for Cultural Heritage (Riksantikvaren) and the Norwegian Environment Agency are responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention. The Directorate for Cultural Heritage also coordinates the cooperation between the two agencies. Norway has eight sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Norway is a Member State of ICCROM since 01/01/1980

Mandates in ICCROM Council since 1958:

ICCROM Staff since 1959: - None -

Governmental Cultural Institutions

• Ministry of Climate and Environment
  
• Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage (Riksantikvaren)
  
• Governor of Svalbard
  
• Sámi Parliament of Norway
  
• Ministry of Culture
  
• Arts Council Norway
  

Museums and Cultural Heritage Institutions

• Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU)
  
• Norwegian Museum of Cultural History
  
• University of Oslo Museum of Cultural History
  
• Norwegian Maritime Museum
  
• Norwegian Crafts Institute – Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage
  
• Norwegian Centre for Traditional Music and Dance
  
• Norwegian Folk Art and Craft Association
  
• Norwegian Coastal Federation
  
• Norwegian Ethnological Research at the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History
  

* ICCROM reserves the right to moderate the content provided by Member States for country profiles to ensure that they remain within the scope of ICCROM’s mission and pertinent to cultural heritage. However, ICCROM does not take responsibility for the accuracy and validity of the content supplied. The ideas and opinions expressed are those of the Member States.