EUROMED Heritage - Seminar proceedings online

Strengthening the institutional and legislative frameworks: seminar on “Prevention and fight against illicit traffic of cultural properties”
(9-11 November 2009, Beirut, Lebanon)



Second legal seminar organised by RMSU in collaboration with the Beirut Office of UNESCO, under the patronage of the Lebanese Directorate of Antiquities
The objective of this second seminar, organised by RMSU in the framework of its activity of strengthening of the institutional and legal framework, was to compare the existing legislations and specialised services in the Mediterranean partner countries with the norms set by major international conventions such as the Hague Convention of 1954, the UNESCO Convention of 1970, and the UNIDROIT Convention of 1995, as well as the codes of ethics for the management of collections, whether private or museum collections, and for the trade in cultural properties (Codes of ICOM and UNESCO).
The seminar examined how these norms have been implemented in the national legislations, how the data base of UNESCO of cultural heritage legislation is being updated and consulted, and the mode of cooperation with the services of INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization (WCO).
The discussion linked with the issues related to inventories, a subject already dealt with in December 2008 at the occasion of the first seminar, and in particular the use of the norm “Object ID”. In addition, the seminar invited Dr. Sophie Vigneron from Kent University (UK), rapporteur of the Seminar on manuscripts organised in April 2008 in Alexandria by Manumed EH 4 project.
Eventually, this seminar was combined with a special training session for about ten Lebanese professionals.

Download the results of the seminar

New GCI publications

Archaeological Sites in the Maya Area: A Conservation Challenge - Proceedings of the XXII Symposium of Archaeological Investigations in Guatemala.

This publication constitutes an important step in the research, conservation, and use of archaeological heritage, as it reflects on the ways different disciplines collaborate, and on the importance of sustainability for site conservation and management.

The complete proceedings are available online in Spanish (PDF, 6 MB), with an English (PDF, 1 MB)summary.


The Nature of Conservation: A Race Against Time

By Philip Ward

This classic work explains the place of conservation and restoration in museums. Long out of print, it is now being published online by the GCI.

Access a free PDF in English or Spanish online.


Landmarks of a New Generation: User's Manual

In the 1990s, the GCI initiated a series of projects that encouraged young people to document through photographs those things they considered landmarks in their community. This out of print manual—now available as a PDF—presents a practical method for creating these landmark projects.

Access the free PDF online (5.2 MB).


Newly Acquired Titles

Recently acquired titles in the Conservation Collection in the Research Library at the Getty Research Institute are available to readers on site at the Getty Center. Some materials are available through your library's interlibrary loan service.

Download the list (PDF, 186 KB)

New ICOMOS France electronic publication

Colloque du Havre: Villes symboles du XXe siècle


Brasilia, Chandigarh, Le Havre, Tel Aviv: four different interpretations of 20th century's architectural and urban modernity. Three of those four cities are inscribed on the UNESCO world heritage list, Chandigarh is applying to be inscribed.

Their outstanding modern architectural heritage is a reference to the whole world. To balance the protection and the valorization of the most prestigious buildings with nowadays urban life remains a permanent question.

Le Havre city presents the publication of the international symposium, which took place on September 13th-14th 2008, to examine the main steps of those important heritage sites and to compare the solutions chosen to bring together heritage enhancement and present's necessities. This symposium gathered numerous specialists regarding architectural and urban history, urban policies coordinators, and actors, elected and professionals, of today's urban projects.
(Source: ICOMOS France website)

Download proceedings at the bottom of the page (PDF, 4 MB)

New ICOMOS publications

ICOMOS Ireland: Sustaining our built environment: Review of the state of conservation education and training in Ireland. Dublin: ICOMOS Ireland, 2009. 22 p.





International Scientific Committee on Legal, Administrative and Financial Issues (ICLAFI): Annual meeting of ICLAFI, Helsinki, Finland, 15-17 May 2008: Criteria for the Conservation of built heritage. Helsinki: Edita, 2009. 63 p.





ICOMOS Norway: ICOMOS Montreal Plan on 20th Century Heritage. Survey/Questionnaire to National and International Scientific Committees. Eirik T. Boe, et al. Oslo: ICOMOS Norway, [2009]. 38 p.

Mrs Lucile Smirnov, new Manager of the ICOMOS Documentation Centre

ICOMOS is very pleased to welcome Mrs Lucile Smirnov, who is, from 8th of March 2010, the new Manager of the ICOMOS Documentation Centre.
Lucile has got a Degree of Information Manager in the Institut Catholique de Paris, and has been for a year Head of the UNESCO Education Sector Documentation Centre.
She will be replacing Mr Jose Garcia Vicente, who has been in charge of the Documentation Centre for the past 11 years.
We wish success and good luck to both of them!