The International Day for Monuments and Sites was created on 18th April, 1982, by ICOMOS and later approved at the 22nd UNESCO General Conference in 1983. This special day offers an opportunity to raise public’s awareness concerning the diversity of the world’s heritage and the efforts that are required to protect and conserve it, as well as to draw attention to its vulnerability. For six years now, ICOMOS has been choosing a common theme shared by all ICOMOS National Committees for this day. This year’s theme was chosen at the 15th General Assembly of ICOMOS by the Executive Committee and approved by the General Assembly in the following resolution: 31. Industrial Heritage
Proposed by the ICOMOS Secretary General

Considering the interest of ICOMOS for all forms of monuments, sites and ensembles related to human activities, including the industries of various historical periods, whose recognition and conservation are affected by specific factors,

Considering the collaboration between ICOMOS and TICCIH (The International Committee for the Conservation of Industrial Heritage) whose General Assembly held in 2003 in Nizhny Tagil (Russia) adopted a statement on the conservation of such heritage which has been distributed for information to participants at the 15th General Assembly of ICOMOS,

Considering the decision of the Executive Committee to identify the Heritage of Production as the theme for the 2006 International Day on Monuments and Sites (18 April),

The 15th General Assembly of ICOMOS, meeting in Xi’an, China in October 2005 resolves to :

- Support the suggestion of the Executive Committee on the theme of the 2006 International Day on Monuments and Sites and encourage all National and International Committees to organise activities to raise awareness for the industrial heritage and to help its conservation;

- Engage ICOMOS, in co-operation with TICCIH and taking into consideration its principles, in a specific reflection relative to the conservation of the industrial heritage in order to propose guidelines to the 16th General Assembly in 2008. We call on ICOMOS members and professionals in the preservation field to make this day a global success. Industrial heritage, like other cultural heritage sectors, is threatened all over the world. The rapid economic and industrial changes that have characterized the last two centuries have resulted in numerous sites, often spread over large areas, which have been rendered defunct due to changes in technology or the exhaustion of natural resources. The value of these sites to industrial history and the past centuries is, however, often not well understood and frequently there is a lack of national awareness of the importance of this heritage and above all on the need for citizens to retain its full ownership. Factories, plantations, forges, mines, railways and other forms of industrial heritage are markers of the workplace and production, having equal importance to the religious and domestic sites which are often given priority. Industrial heritage is, in general, at risk of loss through destruction and abandonment, endangering some of the greatest testaments to the creative genius of humanity.

This year, ICOMOS will be working on this theme in cooperation with The International Committee for the Conservation of Industrial Heritage (TICCIH). TICCIH has been a long-time partner of ICOMOS on the issue of industrial heritage, advocating its preservation, conservation, investigation, documentation, research and interpretation. This organization offers ICOMOS the opportunity to work jointly with an international network of professionals and specialists in the field of Industrial Heritage this 18TH April.

To mark the 18th April, ICOMOS encourages its National and International Scientific Committees and members to organize activities to foster the conservation and protection of Industrial Heritage of all types –bridges, railways, factories, mines etc. In mid-January 2006, in co-operation with TICCIH, the International Secretariat will be forwarding you information material and documentation to help you organize your Committee’s activities. Please also regularly consult the new rubric on industrial heritage that will be launched on the ICOMOS web site: www.international.icomos.org/18april2006.htm in early January. Furthermore, we would encourage you to contact your national member of TICCIH who can provide you with additional material, contacts and advice, online at http://www.mnactec.com/ticcih/ .

If you are organizing meetings, workshops, or other activities to mark the International Day for Monuments and Sites on 18th April, please send any information or press clippings to Ian Cochran (itcochran@icomos.org) at the International Secretariat. We will be compiling a calendar of planned events online.

The International Secretariat can also help you by circulating announcements of your activities related to the Day ahead of the 18th April to all the other ICOMOS Committees – just forward the written announcement to us by e-mail.

Information on 18th April is being published in the coming ICOMOS News and we look forward to mentioning a selection of National Committee activities in the mid-year.

Finally, do not hesitate to send in any suggestions or comments you may have on the principle of this day, the chosen theme or any innovative ways to celebrate our shared world heritage.

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The origin of the International Day for Monuments and Sites

Ideas on how to celebrate it!

On 18 April 1982, on the occasion of a symposium organized by ICOMOS Tunisia and a corresponding meeting of the Bureau in Hammamet, it was suggested that a day be established to celebrate the diversity of heritage throughout the world. From this idea, the International Day for Monuments and Sites was born. This project was approved by the Executive Committee who also provided practical suggestions to the National Committees on how to organize this day.

Last but not least, the idea was also approved by the UNESCO General Conference who passed a resolution at its 22nd session in November 1983 recommending that Member States examine the possibility of declaring 18 April each year “International Monuments and Sites Day”.

While many countries and regions have established heritage days, such as the European Heritage Days celebrated each year in September, the International Day for Monuments and Sites presents an opportunity for all ICOMOS National Committees to advocate their shared cause together on the same day.

At the revival of this day in 2001, ICOMOS President Michael Petzet and the Executive Committee proposed that the 18th of April be used by all Committees to draw attention to a particularly endangered type of cultural heritage in conjunction with the annual Heritage at Risk report. Every year a growing number of ICOMOS National Committees all over the world are holding special events on the 18th April.

However, National Committees should not feel restrained from focusing on additional subjects. While the International focus this year will be placed on Industrial Heritage, an often neglected area and one that is in need of attention; each National Committee is free to choose a theme that is most relevant to highlight the heritage issues in their nation or region.

Below are a number of general suggestions for nationally organized activities to mark this event:

• Visits to monuments and sites, and restoration works, possibly with free admission;
• Articles in newspapers and magazines, as well as television and radio broadcasts;
• Hanging banners in town squares or principal traffic arteries calling attention to the day and the preservation of cultural heritage;
• Inviting local and foreign experts and personalities for conferences and interviews;
• Organizing discussions in cultural-centers, city halls, and other public spaces.
• Exhibitions (photos, paintings, etc)
• Publication of books, post-cards, stamps, posters
• Awarding prizes to organizations or persons who have made an outstanding contribution to the conservation and promotion of cultural heritage or produced an excellent publication on the subject.
• Inaugurate a recently restored monument
• Special awareness raising activities amongst school children and youth
• Promotion of “twinning” opportunities between various National Committees, defining areas for co-operation; exchange of speakers; organization of meetings and seminars, or the editing of joint publications.
• A Scientific Committee could be invited to a country to debate around the chosen theme.

The essential thing is to mark this day so that it becomes not only a day to celebrate your national heritage, but also a day of international solidarity in favor of strengthening and safeguarding heritage world-wide.