HISTORIC BACKGROUND

FROM THE EMERGENCE OF THE CONCEPT OF WORLD HERITAGE
TO THE CREATION OF ICOMOS

Until the end of the 19th century, architectural heritage had been a matter of national concern only et most of the laws regarding the protection of historic buildings in Europe date back to that period. Countless association existed in each country, but their scope never went beyond national borders. Cultural internationalism, as we know it today, was an outcome of the first World War, with the creation of the League of Nations, and most of all of the second World War, with the creation of the United Nations Organisation and the establishment of the UNESCO.

The Athens Conference (1931) on restoration of historic buildings was organised by the International Museums Office, and the Athens Charter, drafted by Le Corbusier at the fourth Assembly of the International congresses on Modern Architecture (1933) was published anonymously in Paris in 1941 both represent a major step in the evolution of ideas because they reflect a growing consciousness among specialists all over the world, and introduced for the first time in history the concept of international heritage.

The Venice Charter was born from the need to create an association of specialists of conservation and restoration independent of the already existing associations of museologists, ICOM.
In 1957, in Paris, the First Congress of Architects and Specialists of Historic Buildings recommended that the countries which still lack a central organisation for the protection of historic buildings provide for the establishment of such an authority and, in the name of UNESCO, that all member states of UNESCO join the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) based in Rome.

The Second Congress of Architects and Specialists of Historic Buildings, in Venice in 1964, adopted 13 resolutions, the first one being the International Restoration Charter, better known as Venice Charter, and the second one, put forward by UNESCO, provided for the creation of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) (see below).

DOCUMENT 2

RESOLUTION CONCERNING THE CREATION OF AN INTERNATIONAL NON-GOVERNMENTAL
ORGANISATION FOR MONUMENTS AND SITES
The plenary meeting of the 2nd International Congress of Architects and Technicians of Historic Monuments,
having put forward
a proposal for the creation of an international non-governmental organisation for monuments and sites, and having heard the report submitted by the Working Party appointed ad hoc by the Congress;
having agreed to
the necessity of creating such an organisation to coordinate international effort for the preservation and the appreciation of the world heritage of historic monuments;
having noted
the findings of the International Committee for monuments, artistic and historical sites and archaeological excavations, convened in Paris from May 19th to 22nd 1964 to hold its 9th Session upon invitation of the Director General of UNESCO;
considers
that the time has now come to implement practical measures for the creation of an INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF MONUMENTS ANDS SITES (ICOMOS);
appoints
for this purpose an Organizing Committee ( Annexe 1 ) and a provisional Executive Board ( Annexe 2);
entrusts
the Organizing Committee and the Board with::

1) the calling of meetings in order to prepare a General Constituent Assembly in the course of 1965 or 1966;

2) the appointment of a sub-Committee responsible for the drawing up of draft statutes and regulations to be submitted to the General Assembly, on the basis of a provisional draft prepared by Unesco and amended by the Working Party of the Congress;

3) the study, in co-operation with the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (Rome Centre) and with the International Council of Museums ( ICOM ) , of the means necessary in order to set up and maintain, among the three Organizations, a close and permanent co-operation, particularly for the establishment of a common statutory system (between ICOMOS and ICOM), and for associating experts with the work of the Rome Centre;

4) the study of the financial and administrative ways of organising and developing ICOMOS and to submit relevant proposaIs to the General Constituent Assembly;

5) to act as provisional representative of ICOMOS while in the process of organisation, on international bodies, particularly UNESCO, the Rome Centre and ICOM.

requests

one of the countries represented in Venice kindly to act as host to the General Constituent Assembly in 1965 or 1966;

submits

to the Director General and to the General Conference of UNESCO the desire that UNESCO should be able to envisage the possibility of granting ICOMOS funds to be devoted to the expenses necessary for the establishing and running of ICOMOS;

expresses the wish

that the Rome Centre considers the possibility of granting the assistance of its Secretariat to the Organizing Committee of ICOMOS, as far as the necessary funds can be forthcoming.

ANNEXE 1

Organizing Committee::

President: Mr. De Angelis D'Ossat;
Vice-Presidents: Mr. Amer, Mr. Brew, Mr.Sereguine;
Members: Mr. Abdul-Hak (Syria), Mr.Bornheim (Germany), Mr. Chauvel (France), Mr. Demus (Austria), Mr. Ekpo-Eyo (Nigeria), Mr. Iñiguez-Almech (Spain), Mr.Ionesco (Rumania), Mr. Lal (India), Mr.Langberg (Denmark), Mr.Pavel (Czechoslovakia), Mr.Pimentel (Peru), Mrs. Rivera de Coronel (Mexico), Mr. Sekino (Japan), Mr. Stikas (Greece), Mr. Zbiss (Tunisia), Mr. Zdravkovic (Yugoslavia);
Ex-officio members: representatives of the Rome Centre and of ICOM.


ANNEXE 2

Bureau: Mr. Almagro (Spain), The earl of Euston (UK), Mr. Gazzola, General Secretary (Italy), Mr. Lemaire (Belgium), Mr. Lorentz (Poland), Mr. Schmid (Switzerland), Mr. Sonnier (France)





DOCUMENTO 2

RESOLUCION CONCERNIENTE A LA CREACION DE UN ORGANISMO INTERNACIONAL NO GUBERNAMENTAL PARA LOS MONUMENTOS y LOS SITIOS

La Asamblea General del II Congreso Internacional de Arquitectos y Técnicos de Monumentos Históricos
habiendo aceptado
una proposición para crear un Organismo internacional no gubernamental para los monumentos y los conjuntos monumentales, y habiendo escuchado el informe del Grupo de Trabajo especialmente designado en su seno,
considerando
la necesidad de la creacion de tal organismo con vistas a la coordinación del esfuerzo internacional para preservar y valorizar el patrimonio monumental de la humanidad;
teniendo conocimiento
de las conclusiones del Comité internacional para los monumentos, los cojuntos monumentales por su arte e historia y las excavaciones arqueológicas, reunido en París del 19 al 22 de Mayo de 1964 en su 9ª sesión, bajo la convocatoria del Director General de la UNESCO;
estima
que ha llegado el momento de proceder a la puesta en marcha de las medidas prácticas que tiendan a la creación de un CONSEJO INTERNACIONAL DE LOS MONUMENTOS y DE LOS SITIOS ( ICOMOS );
crea
a este efecto un Comité de organización ( Anexo 1 ) y un Consejo ejecutivo provisional (Anexo 2).
encarga
al Comité de organizacion y al Consejo Ejecutivo

1) reunirse a fin de preparar una Asamblea General Constitutiva para el año 1965 o 1966;

2) designar dentro de su seno a los responsables de la redacción de un proyecto de estatutos y de reglamentos que serán sometidos a la Asamblea General, teniendo como base el anteproyecto establecido por la UNESCO y revisado por el Grupo de Trabajo del Congreso;

3) estudiar junto con el Centro Internacional de estudios para la conservación y restauración de los Bienes Culturales ( Centro de Roma) y con el Consejo Internacional de Museos (ICOM), los medios que se ofrecen para establecer y mantener entre los tres organismos una cooperación estrecha y permanente, principalmente para la creación de organismos con estatutos de caracter común ( entre el ICOMOS y el ICOM) y para la asociación de expertos a los trabajos del Centro de Roma;

4) estudiar los medios financieros y materiales necesarios para la vida y desarrollo del ICOMOS y someter todas las proposiciones en este sentido a la Asamblea General Constitutiva;

5) representar provisionalmente al ICOMOS, en vias de organización, en los organismos internacionales, principalmente junto a la UNESCO, el Centro de Roma, y el ICOM;

pide

a alguno de los países representados en Venecia tenga a bien acoger a la Asamblea General Constitutiva en 1965 o 1966;

somete

al Director General y a la Conferencia General de la UNESCO el deseo de que esta organización examine con benevolencia la posibilidad de conceder una subvención destinada a contribuir a los gastos de establecimiento y funcionamiento del ICOMOS;

desea

que el Centro de Roma tome en consideración la posibilidad de conceder la ayuda de su Secretariado al Comité de organización del ICOMOS en la medida en que los medios necesarios puedan reunirse.

ANEXO 1

Comité de organización: Presidente: Sr. De Angelis D'Ossat;
Vicepresidentes: Sres. Amer, Brew, Sereguine;
Miembros: Sres. Abdul-Hak (Siria), Bornheim (Alemania), Chauvel (Francia), Demus (Austria), Ekpo-Eyo (Nigeria), Iñiguez-Almech (España), Ionesco (Rumania) , Lal (India), Langberg (Dinamarca) , Pavel (Checoslovaquia) ; Pimentel (Perú), Rivera de Coronel (México), Sekino (Japón), Stikas (Grecia), Zbiss (Túnez), Zdravkovic (Yugoslavia);
Miembros ex-officio: reprentantes del Centro de Roma y del ICOM; Observador de la UNESCO.


ANEXO 2

Consejo ejecutivo: Sres. Almagro (España), The Earl of Euston (Reino Unido), Gazzola (Italia, Secretario General), Lemaire (Bélgica), Lorentz (Polonia), Schmid (Suiza), Sonnier (Francia).

[Historique des Assemblées Générales]


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