On 19 September, on the margins of the G7 Culture Ministerial in Naples, Italy, the Director-General of the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral and Acting Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Lee Satterfield signed a grant agreement for $1 million grant through the U.S. State Department’s Ukraine Cultural Heritage Response Initiative.
“Today, we celebrate the united commitment of the U.S. government, ICCROM, the Ukrainian government, and most importantly, the people of Ukraine,” said Director-General Gujral. “Their resilience, endurance and commitment alongside the contributions of local institutions and dedicated heritage experts on the ground, inspires us all.”
The ceremony in Naples was hosted by the U.S. Consul General in Naples Tracy Roberts-Pounds and attended by the Ukrainian Consul General in Naples, Maksym Kovalenko, and the U.S. Ambassador to the UN Agencies in Rome, Jeffrey Prescott.
“This additional grant, one of the largest ever, creates a powerful opportunity to accelerate the emergency response and recovery work ICCROM is doing in Ukraine. The partnership between the U.S., ICCROM, and Ukraine is a vital part of the effort to preserve Ukraine's cultural identity and historical heritage, and the U.S. looks forward to continuing our strong support for ICCROM and its mandate of preserving cultural heritage around the world.” said Ambassador Prescott.
This new funding is part of a broader $10.5 million U.S. commitment through the Ukraine Cultural Heritage Response Initiative. The project will establish a national framework for risk reduction and emergency management, improving coordination among heritage custodians, government agencies, and local authorities. It builds on the success of the first phase of the project initiated in 2023, for which ICCROM received nearly $250,000 through the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP).
In collaboration with Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communication, ICCROM will implement strategies to safeguard and restore endangered heritage sites, engaging local communities in preservation efforts. This $1 million contribution is the second-largest grant awarded under the Ukraine Cultural Heritage Response Initiative, reaffirming U.S. commitment to global cultural preservation and its continued support for Ukrainians whose lives have been shattered by the war.
Through its flagship programme on First Aid and Resilience for Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis (FAR), ICCROM will work closely with the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications and partners on the ground, including the Agency for Cultural Resilience (ACURE) and Maidan Museum, to develop and the integrated national framework for risk reduction and emergency management of heritage.