ICOMOS' mission

The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) is a non-governmental organization responsible for supporting UNESCO in the implementation of the World Heritage Convention.

It is one of the three advisory bodies named in the 1972 Convention, alongside the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the International Center for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM). In this capacity, it provides scientific and professional assistance to the World Heritage Committee on cultural heritage issues. Specifically, it assesses the cultural and mixed (possessing both cultural and natural features) properties put forward for inscription on the World Heritage List and provides reports on the state of conservation of inscribed sites. 

ICOMOS diligently ensures the implementation and intellectual development of the Convention’s principles through a variety of initiatives. To this end, it benefits from a vast professional network consisting of its National Committees, its International Scientific Committees and its individual members, chosen for their competence and experience. It also works in close collaboration with the UNESCO World Heritage Center, IUCN and ICCROM.

Photo: ICOMOS Headquarters entrance, Charenton-le-Pont, France © Lucile Smirnov / ICOMOS