Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHTO) has announced its allocation of $2.4 million towards the conservation of sites around the world linked to Iranian heritage.
This announcement follows a recent mission to Iran by Stefano De Caro, ICCROM Director-General, to visit important heritage sites and meet with high level officials.
De Caro travelled to Iran at the invitation of Dr Mohammad Hassan Talebian, Director of ICHTO and ICCROM Council Member, who facilitated official visits to some of the nation’s most significant heritage sites and institution and organized the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding. The signing took place in the presence of Mrs Zahra Ahmadipour, Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Iran and President of the ICHTO, and Mr Hadi Hamadi, Director of the Research Centre for the Conservation of Cultural Relics (RCCCR).
The agreement strengthens collaboration in cultural heritage conservation between ICCROM and Iran, a Member State since 1972. It will create the framework for joint activities to further cultural heritage conservation programs through technical advice and collaborative visits, training activities, workshops and initiatives to raise public awareness and support for conservation.
The organizations that are signatories to the Memorandum of Understanding are ICCROM, ICHTO and the Research Institute for Cultural Heritage and Tourism (RICHT).
The Director-General also met with the UNESCO cluster office in Tehran, which covers Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkmenistan, in addition to Iran. Concluding visits to the National Botanic Garden of Iran, National Museum of Iran and Golestan Palace were an opportunity to meet with Dr Rasoul Vatandoust, University Professor at Faculty of Art and Architecture, Azad University and former ICCROM Council Member from Iran.
ICCROM will be seeking new sources of funding, including from the private sector, to implement projects in Iran and the region starting this year. Interested parties may contact Sophy Janowski, ICCROM’s Chief Management Officer, at resource-mobilization@iccrom.org.