2 December. It is with great sorrow that ICCROM has learned of the death of Ikuo Hirayama, aged 79. It is a big loss for the international community of conservators and artists.

As a renowned Japanese painter, Ikuo Hirayama, was a famous advocate for dialogue and peace through cultural heritage, and a campaigner for the preservation of the world's cultural heritage known for his works on the Silk Road and Buddhism.

Mr Hirayama was well known for his efforts to preserve cultural treasures such as the Angkor Wat temples in Cambodia, China's Mogao Caves and Afghanistan's Bamiyan Buddhist monuments.

His goal was 'to make people of all races and religions aware of the value of these human treasures, thus leading to mutual understanding and the promotion of world peace', said a UNESCO spokesperson. UNESCO nominated him a Goodwill Ambassador for Cultural Heritage from 1988 - 2008. In August 2009, the Director-General of UNESCO, Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, offered a UNESCO medal to Mr Hirayama, then President of Japanese Consortium for Cultural Heritage, in recognition for his 20 years of service as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.

The Director-General and the staff of ICCROM would like to extend their condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues in Japan as well as all those he worked with around the world.

updated on: 4 December, 2009