This year, the ICOMOS Annual General Assembly, Advisory Committee meetings and Scientific Symposium will take place in Ouro Preto, Brazil, from 10 to 17 November 2024, upon the generous invitation of ICOMOS Brazil. 

You can download the preliminary program (v4 22/02/2024) – registration and logistical information will be made available shortly.

 

 

 

The meetings of the Advisory Committee (Scientific Council, National Committees and Advisory Committee) will take place on 11 and 12 November – agendas and working documents will be sent to all ICOMOS Committees in due time.

The Annual General Assembly will convene on 13 November. The session will focus on receiving the reports of the ICOMOS President and Treasurer on the management by the Board and the health and financial situation of the association; approving the annual report and accounts and discharging the Board, as well as voting next year’s budget. All ICOMOS members shall have the right to attend the General Assembly and may be designated to be a voting member within the conditions set out in Articles 9-a and 13-d-4 of the ICOMOS Statutes.

The opening of the Scientific Symposium is scheduled for 13 November, followed by the Symposium itself on 14 and 15 November. For this year's edition, the Symposium will explore the theme "Revisiting the Venice Charter: Critical Perspectives and Contemporary Challenges". The aim of the Symposium is to thoroughly re-examine the Venice Charter in the light of contemporary challenges, focusing on five key sub-themes detailed below.

Thanks to the hybrid format of the event, remote participation in all meetings will be possible. More information will be shared soon.

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The 2024 Scientific Symposium

The Symposium aims to comprehensively reassess the Venice Charter in a contemporary context, emphasizing its Eurocentric origins and advocating for a critical rereading considering evolving heritage concepts. Additionally, it seeks to foster a cross-cutting approach between the Venice Charter and other international conventions, emphasizing the importance of diverse epistemologies and contributions from the Global South.

The choice of Ouro Preto as the Symposium venue is strategically significant due to its historical character as a city shaped by the XVIII-century Brazilian gold rush. As the first city in Brazil designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ouro Preto embodies a rich heritage that aligns with the event's theme. Its proximity to a site impacted by one of Brazil's most significant environmental disasters provides a tangible backdrop for discussions on heritage resilience, reinforcing the symposium's objective to critically examine the Venice Charter and explore potential paths forward in the contemporary discourse on heritage, authenticity, and resilience.

The Symposium invites scholars, researchers, heritage professionals, and policymakers to contribute to this critical examination through research papers, case studies, and reflections aligned with its objectives. Stay tuned for the launch of the call for papers on 1 March!

Proposed Sub-Themes for the Symposium

1. Historical Context and Heritage Concepts
An exploration of the historical context and conceptual foundations that shaped the Venice Charter, emphasizing its Eurocentric origins and the need for a critical rereading.

2. A Cross-Cutting Approach Between Conventions
A discussion linking the Venice Charter with other international documents, notably the Hague Convention of 1954, the World Heritage Convention of 1972, the Nara Document on Authenticity of 1994, the Intangible Heritage Convention of 2003, and the Faro Convention of 2005^[1], exploring intersections and shared principles to address contemporary challenges.

3. Universalism and diversity: Rereading the Doctrinal Documents from Diverse Perspectives
A discussion on the importance of the Venice Charter (and other related doctrinal documents) through diverse epistemologies and perspectives, acknowledging the cultural diversity of heritage and exploring contributions from the Global South.

4. Contemporary Challenges in Heritage Discourse
A critical examination of the state of the art in heritage discussions, considering the evolving perspectives and challenges that have emerged since the inception of the Venice Charter. Examining the relevance of the Venice Charter in the current context, with a focus on challenges posed by the Western divide between nature and culture, the growing importance of metropolises, social inequities, the environmental impact of human activities, disasters and conflicts, among others.

5. Disaster and Conflict Resilient Heritage
Cultural heritage is increasingly vulnerable to disasters and conflicts and subject to rapid destruction, as evidenced by the recent fires, floods, earthquakes and escalating armed conflicts in different parts of the world. At the General Assembly 2023 in Sydney, the ICOMOS Advisory Committee approved the theme of “Disaster and Conflict Resilient Heritage - Preparedness, Response and Recovery” as the theme for the Triennial Scientific Plan 2024-2027.  In keeping with the spirit of open, innovative and constructive intergenerational dialogue, and the strategic focus, this sub-theme will address the suitability of the Venice Charter with the theme of disaster and conflict-resilient heritage, emphasizing its broader implications for heritage discourse, development models, and resilience strategies.

By integrating these sub-themes into the Symposium, we aim to foster a comprehensive dialogue that not only critically reinterprets the Venice Charter but also explores its intersections with broader heritage discussions and contemporary challenges including the climate emergency, conflicts and natural disasters.

^[1] Council of Europe’s Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society 

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Useful contacts

For information on statutory meetings: secretariat[at]icomos.org
To contact the organizing committee of ICOMOS Brazil: AGA2024-contact[at]icomos.org

Photo : Ouro Preto, Brazil © Lucia Barreiros Silvia