From 18-20 November, representatives of governments from all regions of the world will meet at the FAO headquarters in Rome for the XXIX General Assembly of ICCROM.
The ICCROM General Assembly provides a unique opportunity for discussion and sharing of experiences between delegates, who include diplomats and representatives from top-level institutions and ministries. The XXIX General Assembly will gather 134 countries to voice their concerns regarding conservation issues and provide an opportunity to meet with representatives and peers from all areas of the globe. These countries will vote on the future programmes of the organization, and thereby help determine the trajectory of ICCROM as a source of information and capacity for promoting best practice in conservation.
As cultural heritage becomes increasingly vulnerable to global pressures, examples of the destruction of sites and museums by natural or human forces have become all too familiar. Much more attention must be given to the potential this resource has in healing communities and contributing to global development and empowerment.
To highlight these worldwide trends, ICCROM has the pleasure to announce that this year’s General Assembly will add a thematic discussion on climate change and natural disasters. As determined by a ten-year review made for the 2015 UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, climate change-related events account for 87% of all disasters.
The XXIX General Assembly thematic discussion will be an occasion to raise awareness of the impact of global climate change on our cultural heritage and to share national and regional examples of how to meet these challenges. The thematic discussion will continue with presentations of ICCROM success stories and challenges.