Heritage Alerts aim to publicise threats to the conservation of cultural heritage, in order to promote solutions that preserve the heritage that is at risk.
Using ICOMOS’ professional and public networks, the Heritage Alert process publicises the importance and urgency of conservation of cultural heritage by drawing attention to threats confronting it. Heritage Alerts also promote the best solutions possible for conservation of heritage at imminent risk.
We recognise the responsibility that comes with both publicising at-risk heritage and defining the value of heritage and significance of threats. We do not take this responsibility lightly: the assessment process leading to ICOMOS issuing a Heritage Alert is undertaken with the highest degree of ethical rigour and accuracy possible. For this, we rely on the multi-disciplinary knowledge and expertise of our members in different committees worldwide.
In order for ICOMOS to handle requests for different heritage alerts (different countries, different types of heritage), we encourage all National and Scientific Committees to set up their own advocacy sub-committee (on an annually rotating basis, with renewable membership).
It is important for ICOMOS to maintain and ensure the reputation and credibility of our Heritage Alert response. This means that we have established a formal process, to confirm that both the significance of the heritage and the threat to it is fully understood before the ICOMOS Heritage Alert is issued.
It is a five-step process, allowing for across-the-board consultation as quickly as possible by the relevant ICOMOS advocacy sub-committee.
Proposals for alerts are forwarded from the ICOMOS HQ to the relevant National Committee and/or International Scientific Committee(s). These committees then confirm whether the case is of international or national significance. For confirmed cases, a Heritage Alert template is forwarded to the proposer, with an invitation for the relevant Scientific and/or National Committees to comment and advise. The ICOMOS Secretary General is informed of this, and affiliated organisations may also be informed and invited to investigate or take action.
The sub-committee Chair receives the template and associated documents from the proposer and may request additional material. The sub-committee aims to assess the Alert request by email within five business days, recommending action to the National and/or Scientific Committee President, who makes the final decision. The ICOMOS Secretary General and the relevant National Committee are consulted on proposed actions.
The Committee Secretary General prepares material for the public and media in consultation with the relevant National Committee and/or Scientific Committee President.
The ICOMOS HQ facilitates the forwarding of the Heritage Alert to all ICOMOS members. The relevant National and/or Scientific Committees prepare any letters, then sent and publicised with ICOMOS letterhead by the HQ.
The Heritage Alert template and other relevant documentation will be uploaded onto relevant committee websites by their Secretary General.
Advocacy sub-committees respect established national and international guidelines for the assessment or heritage significance. ICOMOS understands the importance of conserving not only a building’s fabric, form and function, but also the ideas and philosophies behind a building, structure, landscape, and its use. For this process, ICOMOS may require additional materials, original research, or comparative knowledge of similar and associated places.
As an international organisation, ICOMOS generally only responds to requestions of national/international urgency, and forwards other requests to appropriate national or local heritage organisations for action. The decision for ICOMOS to enter into official correspondence with relevant national authorities, or launch a conservation campaign, is made in consultation between National and/or Scientific Committee Presidents and the ICOMOS Secretary General.
The Heritage Alert assessment template is regularly updated and kept simple, with streamlined response methodology, to ensure active and timely participation from advocacy sub-committees.
ICOMOS always considers relations with cooperating international organisations with similar ‘heritage at risk’ programmes to ensure that ICOMOS Heritage Alerts are timely and effective.