ICCROM-ATHAR

ICCROM-ATHAR
Name	ICCROM-ATHAR

ICCROM-ATHAR ICCROM-ATHAR is a specialized initiative situated within international heritage conservation frameworks, focusing on the preservation of cultural heritage in the Arab region and linking with global conservation networks. It engages with institutions, museums, archives, and archaeological sites through technical assistance, research, and training aligned with regional and international conventions. The programme collaborates with governmental ministries, academic institutions, and intergovernmental organizations to implement preventive conservation, documentation, and risk management strategies.

History

ICCROM-ATHAR emerged from dialogues involving United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property, World Heritage Committee, International Council on Monuments and Sites, Arab League, European Union, United Nations Development Programme, and regional stakeholders during meetings such as UNESCO World Heritage Committee session and Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage consultations. Early consultation drew on expertise from Getty Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution, British Museum, Louvre Museum, Pergamon Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Islamic Art (Doha), and Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Foundational workshops referenced practices from ICOMOS charters, Venice Charter, Nara Document on Authenticity, and guidance from International Council of Museums, with pilot projects inspired by programs at Darmstadt Technical University, Cairo University, Alexandria University, American University of Beirut, and University of Jordan.

Mission and Objectives

The mission aligns with mandates from UNESCO World Heritage Centre, UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, United Nations Environment Programme, Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage, and Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization to safeguard movable and immovable heritage through targeted objectives. Objectives include supporting compliance with World Heritage Convention (1972), enhancing readiness for threats addressed in Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, promoting inventories as recommended by UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, and advancing standards echoing ICOMOS Principles and ICCROM Charter precedents. The initiative emphasizes capacity for emergency response aligned with Blue Shield International and coordination with International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions protocols.

Programs and Projects

Programs draw on methodologies from Getty Foundation, Prince Claus Fund, European Investment Bank, World Monuments Fund, Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, and Council of Europe. Projects include documentation campaigns using techniques familiar to International Council on Archives, digitization projects inspired by Digital Public Library of America, and conservation treatments comparable to those at Rijksmuseum, National Museum of Korea, Victoria and Albert Museum, and State Hermitage Museum. Site-focused initiatives reference best practices from Petra Archaeological Park, Palmyra, Tyre (Lebanon), Byblos, Citadel of Aleppo, Krak des Chevaliers, and Qasr al-Hosn. Research collaborations mirror work at Max Planck Society, French National Centre for Scientific Research, Royal Ontario Museum, and Australian National University.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Collaborative networks include UNESCO Cairo Office, UNESCO Beirut Office, Arab League, Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH), Arab Network for Cultural Heritage, Council of Arab Ministers of Culture, European Union External Action Service, International Committee for Museums of Islamic Art, and International Council on Archives. Academic partners feature Alexandria University, Cairo University, American University of Beirut, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University College London, University of Paris (Sorbonne), Sapienza University of Rome, University of Bologna, Columbia University, New York University, Harvard University, University of Chicago, SOAS University of London, University of Toronto, University of Melbourne, and Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. Funding and technical cooperation have involved World Bank, Islamic Development Bank, OPEC Fund for International Development, Kuwait Fund, Arab Coordination Group, Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Organizational Structure

The structure integrates advisory mechanisms resembling those of ICCROM, UNESCO, ICOMOS, and International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property. Governance draws on boards and committees influenced by World Heritage Committee, Blue Shield International Board, International Council on Monuments and Sites Scientific Committee, and consultative panels that include representatives from Ministry of Culture (Egypt), Ministry of Culture (Lebanon), Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Jordan), Syrian Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums, and Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage. Technical units work with specialists affiliated with Getty Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Mauritshuis, Bibliothèque nationale de France, National Archives (UK), and National Archives and Records Administration.

Training and Capacity Building

Training programs parallel curricula at ICCROM, Getty Conservation Institute, Cultural Heritage Institute of Zhejiang University, Conservation Centre of the Institute of Fine Arts (New York University), and École du Louvre. Courses include preventive conservation modules similar to those at Victoria and Albert Museum Conservation Department, documentation workshops modelled on International Council on Archives standards, and emergency preparedness training consistent with UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and Blue Shield International guidance. Fellowships and internships mirror programs at British Museum, Louvre Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, State Hermitage Museum, Rijksmuseum, and Pergamon Museum, while professional development collaborates with International Centre for Heritage Studies and regional universities such as University of Aleppo and Yarmouk University.

Publications and Resources

Publications follow formats used by ICCROM, ICOMOS Publications, UNESCO Publishing, Getty Conservation Institute Publications, and World Monuments Fund Reports. Resources include technical manuals, case studies, training modules, and digital archives that reference standards from International Council of Museums, International Committee on Monuments and Sites, International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property, and research from Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History. Dissemination channels align with platforms such as JSTOR, Scopus, Google Scholar, OpenAIRE, and university presses including Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Springer Nature, and Routledge.

Category:Cultural heritage conservation