In the aftermath of devastating floods in Central Europe, ICCROM has joined hands with its long-standing partner, Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA), Belgium, to organise a series of consultations for assessing and securing damaged movable and immovable heritage. Through this collaborative initiative, KIK-IRPA and ICCROM aim to reduce risks and promote early recovery, by fostering inter-agency coordination and developing a common methodology for recording damage and risks at the affected heritage places.

Much has already been written about 2020, a year unlike any in living memory. Of course, the advent of the global pandemic was the dominant story, testing the resilience of nations confronted with the sudden loss of lives and livelihoods, and in many places a crisis still unfolding. However, these were also 12 months in which we witnessed remarkable feats of human endeavour, as vaccines were developed in record time and millions worldwide rallied in support of transformative action, from climate change to social justice. By the end, 2020 was defined as much by hope as it was by hardship – a dichotomy we have chosen to reflect in the design of the ICCROM Annual Report.

The G20 Culture summit was held on 29-30 July in Rome, hosted in the evocative settings of the Colosseum and Palazzo Barberini under the Italian G20 presidency. The two-day event led to the adoption of the Rome Declaration of the G20 Culture Ministers, calling for culture to be integrated more into national economies as an opportunity for sustainable growth and international cooperation.

On 26 July 2021, ICCROM organized an online information meeting to mark the start of training being delivered within the framework of the Capacity Building for Holistic, Sustainable and Resilient Heritage Recovery of Mosul project, in partnership with UNESCO and with generous financial support by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the European Union (EU).

Director-General Webber Ndoro visited the Italian island of Lampedusa last month for a day-long conference exploring opportunities for strengthening ties between Europe and Africa, organized by the University of Teramo, the Municipality of Lampedusa and Linosa, the Municipality of Teramo, the Archdiocese of Agrigento and the Diocese of Teramo-Atri, in collaboration with Snapshots from the Borders.

Do you have a material sample collection you would like to showcase? Do you want to share with others the research discoveries made using your collection? - If yes, please submit a poster to the 2-day online poster session and roundtable organized by the ICCROM Heritage Samples Archives Initiative.

Torrential rains have led to devastating floods in the Henan province and its capital city, Zhengzhou in the People’s Republic of China. The Director-General and staff of ICCROM extend their deepest condolences to the Government and People of China for the loss of lives and the extensive damage caused as a result.

Whether or not you consider these to be examples of ‘heritage’, and therefore digital heritage’, depends on if you think they have shared value for both present and future generations, and then decide to preserve them for future use, enjoyment, and learning opportunities. These examples show how much our digital environment has changed since 2003, when UNESCO adopted the Charter on the Preservation of Digital Heritage, and its 193 member states agreed to guard against the loss of unique digital resources to protect humanity’s common heritage. We have developed and adopted new technologies, the internet has penetrated more of the world’s population, and increasingly more realms of daily life have become digitized. All of this raises the importance of sustaining our digital heritage today.

The fourth edition of the World Heritage Site Managers’ Forum hosted by the People’s Republic of China was held online from 7 to 13 July 2021, in conjunction with the extended 44th session of the World Heritage Committee meeting. This year the Forum hosted 90 site managers and coordinators representing 82 World Heritage properties from 48 countries worldwide. The IUCN-ICCROM World Heritage Leadership programme organized the Forum jointly with the People’s Republic of China, the World Heritage Centre, and in collaboration with ICOMOS.

Heritage can represent a valuable resource for living together peacefully and building prosperous, sustainable futures. However, it can also find itself in the midst of serious conflicts. As such, the role of heritage in the pursuit of peace requires careful consideration.