Asian Cultural Heritage Protection Alliance

Asian Cultural Heritage Protection Alliance
Name	Asian Cultural Heritage Protection Alliance
Founded	2009
Founder	Dr. Amina Rahman; Prof. Kenji Matsuda
Headquarters	Bangkok, Thailand
Area served	Asia-Pacific
Focus	Cultural heritage protection, restoration, capacity building

Asian Cultural Heritage Protection Alliance

The Asian Cultural Heritage Protection Alliance is a regional network established to coordinate preservation, restoration, documentation, and advocacy for cultural property across Asia. It works with museums, archives, universities, and heritage agencies to respond to natural disasters, armed conflict, illicit trafficking, and urban development threats. The Alliance engages with conservation professionals, legal scholars, disaster managers, and community leaders to align practices with international instruments and regional initiatives.

History and founding

The Alliance was co-founded in 2009 after consultations involving representatives from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the International Council on Monuments and Sites, and national ministries such as the Ministry of Culture (Thailand), Ministry of Culture (Japan), and National Commission for Culture and the Arts (Philippines). Early meetings drew delegates from the National Museum of Korea, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage (China), the Archaeological Survey of India, and the Department of Archaeology (Sri Lanka), alongside scholars from University of Tokyo, Peking University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Chulalongkorn University. Founders cited precedents including the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, the World Heritage Convention, and programs by the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property as shaping the Alliance’s scope.

Mission and objectives

The Alliance’s mission aligns with instruments and bodies such as the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, the Blue Shield International, and the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee for Risk Preparedness. Objectives include developing standards influenced by the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, improving emergency preparedness modeled on training by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and supporting legal frameworks comparable to the UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects. The Alliance prioritizes safeguarding tangible sites like the Angkor Archaeological Park, the Borobudur Temple Compounds, and the Historic Centre of Bukhara, while also addressing intangible expressions registered on lists such as Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Organizational structure and membership

Governance draws from templates used by the International Council of Museums, the Asia-Pacific Network of Museums, and the League of Historic Cities. A general assembly convenes representatives from national institutions including the National Museum of the Philippines, the National Palace Museum, the Asian Civilisations Museum, and civil society groups like Aga Khan Trust for Culture. Technical committees mirror bodies such as the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Cultural Routes and include specialists from SOAS, University of London, the Asian Development Bank, and the Ford Foundation in advisory roles. Membership categories reflect models used by the International Centre for Theoretical Physics and the Global Heritage Fund, ranging from state agencies to community-based organizations and university research centers.

Key programs and initiatives

Major programs echo initiatives like the Heritage Emergency Fund, the World Monuments Watch, and the UNESCO Slave Route Project. Emergency response teams are trained in protocols derived from the Hague Convention, working with field partners such as the National Museum of Afghanistan, the Baghdad Museum, and the Nepal Department of Archaeology after seismic events similar to the 2015 Nepal earthquakes. Conservation workshops adopt methodologies promoted by the Getty Conservation Institute, the Tate Conservation Department, and the British Museum. Documentation projects use standards from the International Image Interoperability Framework and collaborate with digital archives modeled on Europeana and the Digital South Asia Library. Education programs partner with institutions including University of Oxford, Harvard University, and Peking University to offer fellowships and curricula resembling those of the ICCROM-CATHEDRAL Conservation School.

Partnerships and collaborations

The Alliance maintains formal links with multilateral actors such as UNESCO, UNIDROIT, and the World Bank and works alongside regional bodies like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. It collaborates with non-governmental organizations including Blue Shield, Global Heritage Fund, Conservation International, and International Committee of the Red Cross for protection in conflict settings. Academic collaborations include joint projects with National University of Singapore, Tsinghua University, Columbia University, and the University of Melbourne. The Alliance also engages private-sector partners modeled on public–private efforts like those by Google Arts & Culture and the Prince Claus Fund for digital preservation grants.

Funding and governance

Funding streams combine approaches used by the World Heritage Fund, the Asia Foundation, and philanthropic models from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Kresge Foundation. Grants originate from national cultural agencies such as the Japan Foundation, the Korean Cultural Heritage Administration, and the British Council regional programs, plus project support from the Asian Development Bank and donor consortia similar to Global Environment Facility arrangements. Financial oversight and audit practices follow standards from institutions like the International Federation of Accountants and governance codes akin to those of the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Decision-making bodies include an executive board patterned on the ICOM council and technical advisory panels reflecting practices of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Category:Cultural heritage organizations in Asia