ICCROM

The second pilot testing of the Climate Action Toolkit for World Heritage (#CAT) is underway! This phase will help refine the toolkit, test its applicability across different typologies of heritage and contexts, and ensure it meets the practical needs of site managers and heritage professionals. #ICCROM @UNESCO @ICOMOS @IUCN, with the generous support of the Governments of Australia, Norway, and the Netherlands.

On the International Day for #DisasterRiskReduction, ICCROM highlights how cultural heritage expertise and community knowledge can inform disaster risk management. READY Track 2 translated this systems-based understanding into practice. In Bucharest, 24 heritage and emergency professionals from 19 countries worked through a two-week earthquake simulation alongside firefighters and Urban Search and Rescue specialists. Hosted by Romania’s National Institute of Heritage and supported by the European Union through the @europe_creative programme, #READY Track 2 is helping build a stronger network of Cultural First Aiders and heritage risk managers across Europe. bit.ly/4dDhYUK #DRRDay #disasterriskreduction

At #ICCROM, we believe heritage has a crucial role to play – not only as a legacy to protect, but as an accelerator of transformative changes, social cohesion, economic growth and stability, contributing to a more sustainable and prosperous future for our People, our Communities and our Planet. This conviction underpins the ICCROM Strategic Plan 2026–2031 and its CARE Vision – Conserve, Activate, and Recognize the full potential of heritage in all its forms – translated into three interconnected Strategic Directions that will shape ICCROM’s work over the next six years. iccrom.org/sites/default/fil…

16 September 2026, Yerevan, Armenia @ICCROM_DG Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral met with the Deputy Minister of Culture of Armenia, Alfred Kocharyan, to discuss concrete opportunities to further strengthen cooperation through cultural heritage as a driver of transformative change at community, institutional and policymaking levels. The discussion explored the opportunity to co-design and co-implement a multi-year Project around 4 interconnected Pillars: digital documentation and collection management; disaster risk reduction, resilience, and recovery; youth engagement, the creative economy, and sustainable tourism; and the safeguarding of intangible heritage. These areas reflect a shared commitment to leveraging Armenia's rich cultural heritage as a powerful accelerator of social cohesion, community empowerment, economic growth and stabilization within the Caucasus Region.

Looking Ahead to the 2028–2029 Programme of Work and Budget ICCROM staff came together for a workshop to advance the development of the 2028–2029 Programme of Work and Budget, guided by the ICCROM Strategic Plan 2026–2031. The workshop focused on translating the Strategic Plan into future programming by exploring heritage typologies, thematic clusters and potential areas of intervention that draw on ICCROM’s distinctive expertise and respond to the needs of its Member States. The results provide a strong foundation for the next stage of programme development—helping to shape a coherent, impactful and sustainable Programme of Work grounded in ICCROM’s contribution and added value to heritage conservation. iccrom.org/publication/strat…

Last chance to apply for the ICCROM Fellowship Programme 2027! iccrom.org/get-involved/fell…

🚨 From risk to readiness: READY Track 2 is underway in Bucharest! From 7–18 September, 24 heritage professionals from 19 countries are taking part in intensive, hands-on training to strengthen disaster risk reduction, emergency preparedness and cultural heritage first aid. Through simulations, field exercises and real-world scenarios, participants are building the skills and partnerships needed to safeguard heritage — and the communities and living traditions connected to it — amid disasters, climate extremes and conflict. Funded by the #EuropeanUnion through the @europe_creative Programme, #READY is growing a global network of cultural first aiders and heritage risk managers. Read more: iccrom.org/news/bucharest-se…

3 September 2026 @ICCROM_DG joined the GoGreen conference, Green Strategies and Innovations for Cultural Heritage Conservation, online to deliver a Keynote speech. GoGreen is a European Commission-funded research initiative advancing safer and more environmentally sustainable approaches to cultural heritage conservation. Held in Venice, the conference brought together high level officials, researchers, educators and conservation professionals to examine sustainable innovation across conservation practice—from education and decision-making to preventive conservation, materials and treatments. In her keynote, the Director-General encouraged the audience to reflect on what is needed to carry this work forward on a broader international scale—from growing awareness and promising research to sustained professional practice, institutional change and greater systems-wide thinking approaches at policy level. The DG emphasized that partnerships will be essential at every stage: “No institution, profession or region can achieve this transformation alone.” Drawing on ICCROM’s Strategic Plan 2026–2031, Director-General Gujral called for collective action to: 🟣 Conserve through stronger capacities and more environmentally responsible practice. 🟡 Activate heritage knowledge for climate resilience and sustainable development. 🟢 Recognize heritage’s contribution through evidence, cross-sectoral cooperation and policy integration. #ICCROM #GoGreen #GreenConservation #CulturalHeritage #Sustainability #ClimateAction

Applications for the 2027 #ICCROMFellowships are now open! The ICCROM Fellowship Programme offers heritage professionals the opportunity to pursue independent research, exchange knowledge and ideas, and bring fresh perspectives to cultural heritage conservation. Application deadline: 15 September 2026 Apply now👉 iccrom.org/get-involved/fell…

31 August 2026 Rome, Italy   @ICCROM_DG Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral was pleased to welcome H.E. Mr @Satya_Rodrigo, Ambassador of Sri Lanka, to ICCROM Headquarters in Rome.   The meeting focused on strengthening and expanding the longstanding partnership between ICCROM and Sri Lanka, identifying opportunities to develop a broader and more strategic programme of cooperation for heritage.   The discussion explored the possibility to expand collaboration through jointly designed projects responding to the country’s priorities.   Potential areas for collaboration include the conservation of sites, monuments and collections; the safeguarding of intangible heritage and traditional craftsmanship; the digitization of archives and inventories; and the promotion of cultural creative economies as a propeller of socio-economic growth and sustainable tourism. The meeting also explored community-led approaches to addressing contemporary challenges, including the increasing impacts of climate change on heritage.   DG Gujral and Ambassador Rodrigo tabled the possibility of framing these shared priorities through a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), marking an important step towards a stronger, more structured and long-term partnership between ICCROM and Sri Lanka. #ICCROM #SriLanka

5 August 2026 Rome, Italy @ICCROM_DG Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral was pleased to welcome H.E. Tamara Liluashvili, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia, to ICCROM Headquarters. The meeting offered the opportunity to recognize Georgia’s continued support as an ICCROM Member State since 2001 and to discuss ways forward to strengthening even further the longstanding partnership between ICCROM and Georgia, with a shared ambition for sustained engagement in building capacities for cultural heritage in the country and across the wider Caucasus region. The exchange explored opportunities to align Georgia’s heritage agenda with ICCROM’s Strategic Plan 2026–2031 and its “Vision of CARE” for heritage: to Conserve, Activate and Recognize its full potential in enriching lives and livelihoods identifying areas where ICCROM’s expertise and networks can contribute to Georgia’s evolving priorities.

27 July 2026, Rome, Italy Today, @ICCROM_DG Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral welcomed H.E. Ms Bulgan Dansran, Ambassador of Mongolia, at ICCROM HQ. Discussions explored the role of heritage in tackling climate change, safeguarding intangible and living heritage - including Mongolia’s rich nomadic traditions - and strengthening the role of culture creative economy as driver of sustainable development, resilience and socio-economic growth. The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of ICCROM and Mongolia to further strengthening the already strong collaboration on governance matters as well as on the role of cultural heritage as a strategic resource for national and international policy making frameworks.

22 July 2026, Rome Today, ICCROM @ICCROM_DG Gujral met with H.E. Ms Elif Çomoğlu Ülgen @UlgenElif, Ambassador of Türkiye to Italy, reaffirming the strong partnership between ICCROM and Türkiye, a Member State since 1969. The meeting explored opportunities to strengthen collaboration in the lead-up to #COP31 in Antalya, advancing the culture–climate nexus as a driver of climate action and sustainable development, while also laying the groundwork for a promising regional programme ICCROM-Türkiye that will position cultural heritage as a catalyst for climate resilience, socio-economic growth and sustainable livelihoods across Central Asia.

The Mediterranean is home to an extraordinary heritage of mosaics, preserved across archaeological sites and museums, where they face a range of conservation challenges. In 2008, ICCROM, Getty and the International Committee for the Conservation of Mosaics came together for the #MOSAIKON initiative to strengthen the conservation of these invaluable treasures. The final report captures 15 years of impact, showing how regional collaboration and capacity building have strengthened the long-term care of Mediterranean mosaic heritage. Read the full report: getty.edu/publications-repor…

We warmly invite participants of the 48th Session of the #WorldHeritageCommittee in Busan to attend the #ICCROM-NRICH Annual International Conference 2026. 🗓️13–14 July 2026 at 📍Grand Josun Busan 🇰🇷 @nrichpr 👉 sangx2-workspace.netlify.app…

Today, @ICCROM_DG gave a lecture at @UniLUISS  to discuss how cultural heritage can drive transformative change and socio-economic growth. #Youth are at the heart of this journey. By investing in the next generation and strengthening cultural and creative economies, we can build a more sustainable future for our communities, people and planet. #ICCROM #Heritage #PublicDiplomacy