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| Steering Committee for Cultural Heritage | |
|---|---|
| Name | Steering Committee for Cultural Heritage |
| Formation | 20th century |
| Type | Intergovernmental advisory body |
| Purpose | Cultural heritage policy coordination |
| Leader title | Chair |
Steering Committee for Cultural Heritage
The Steering Committee for Cultural Heritage is an intergovernmental advisory body that coordinates policy, protection, and promotion of tangible and intangible World Heritage Sites, cultural property, and cultural heritage practices across international institutions. It interfaces with multilateral organizations such as UNESCO, Council of Europe, European Union, UNIDROIT, and national agencies including the British Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Bibliothèque nationale de France, the National Museum of China, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art to harmonize standards and responses to crises.
The Committee provides strategic guidance on conservation of archaeological sites, historic buildings, museum collections, and intangible cultural heritage through policy instruments linked to World Heritage Convention, Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, and frameworks used by ICOMOS, ICCROM, ICOM, UNIDROIT Convention, and Blue Shield International. It aims to align priorities with regional entities such as the African Union, Organisation of American States, ASEAN, and European Commission and with national ministries such as the Ministry of Culture (France), Ministry of Culture (China), and the Ministry of Heritage (Egypt). The Committee also develops guidelines compatible with standards from the ICOMOS Charters, Venice Charter, Seattle Art Museum practices, and professional curricula at institutions like Courtauld Institute of Art, Columbia University, University of Oxford, and Sorbonne University.
Origins trace to post-conflict cultural property concerns following events like the Second World War, the Balkan Wars, and the Iraq War, and to initiatives by entities including UNESCO, Council of Europe, UNIDROIT, and ICRC. Early interlocutors included the British Museum, Louvre, Hermitage Museum, and national commissions such as the American Numismatic Society and National Trust (United Kingdom). Influenced by landmark instruments such as the Hague Convention (1954), the UNESCO World Heritage Convention (1972), and the UNIDROIT Convention (1995), the Committee was formalized through memoranda involving stakeholders like the European Cultural Foundation, Getty Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution, and the Asia-Europe Foundation.
Membership comprises representatives from state parties to major conventions, specialists from ICOMOS, ICCROM, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, and experts seconded from institutions such as Getty Foundation, Khan Academy, Princeton University, University of Cambridge, and national museums like the National Museum of Anthropology (Mexico). Governance follows procedures reminiscent of Council of Europe committees and UN General Assembly practice, with chairs elected from member delegations and working groups modeled on IUCN commissions and International Law Commission methodologies. The Committee coordinates with cultural ministries from states including France, United Kingdom, United States, China, India, Brazil, South Africa, Egypt, and Japan.
Key responsibilities include advising on emergency response to threats such as those exemplified by the Bamiyan Buddhas destruction, the Palmyra damage, and looting incidents linked to the Syrian Civil War; developing risk assessments like those used by UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs; issuing recommendations compatible with the UN Security Council resolutions addressing cultural property; and promoting standards for conservation akin to those advocated by ICOMOS, ICCROM, and the Getty Conservation Institute. The Committee also issues guidance to museums like the British Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Louvre on provenance, restitution, and preventive conservation, informed by legal frameworks such as the UNIDROIT Convention and national laws including the National Historic Preservation Act.
Programs range from disaster preparedness modeled on the Blue Shield framework and the UNESCO Emergency Safeguarding of the Syrian Cultural Heritage initiative, to capacity-building partnerships with universities like Yale University, University of California, Los Angeles, and Australian National University. Initiatives include digitization and documentation projects inspired by CyArk, collaborative repatriation dialogues involving the Elgin Marbles debates and bilateral restitutions like those between France and Benin, community engagement pilots referencing Living Human Treasures lists, and research funding similar to grants from the Getty Foundation and European Research Council.
The Committee partners with intergovernmental bodies (UNESCO, Council of Europe, European Union), professional organizations (ICOMOS, ICCROM, ICOM), non-governmental bodies (Blue Shield International, Prince Claus Fund, Europa Nostra), academic institutions (University of Leiden, Sapienza University of Rome), and museums (Vatican Museums, National Gallery (London), State Hermitage Museum). Engagements include consultations with indigenous and community organizations like representatives from Maori institutions, Navajo Nation, Sami Parliament, and cultural NGOs such as Cultural Survival.
Funding sources combine assessed contributions from member states, grants from foundations (e.g., Getty Foundation, Ford Foundation), project financing from entities like the European Commission Horizon 2020 and UN Development Programme, and private donations from patrons akin to those supporting the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Louvre Abu Dhabi. Resource allocation follows accountability practices comparable to United Nations Development Programme and World Bank project management, with audits and reporting aligned to standards used by Council of Europe monitoring mechanisms.
Impact is measured through conservation outcomes at World Heritage Sites such as Stonehenge, Angkor Archaeological Park, and Machu Picchu, improved emergency response after events like the 2015 Nepal earthquake, and policy changes influenced at institutions like the British Museum and Musée du quai Branly. Evaluation frameworks draw on methodologies from UNESCO, OECD, and academic assessments published in journals affiliated with Cambridge University Press and Oxford University Press. Persistent challenges include navigating restitution disputes exemplified by cases such as the Benin Bronzes and complex legal regimes involving the UNIDROIT Convention, addressing illicit trafficking connected to organizations monitored by Interpol, and securing sustainable funding amid competing priorities highlighted by G20 and UN General Assembly agendas.