Overview of ICOMOS
Full name: International Council on Monuments and Sites (abbreviated as ICOMOS)
Founded in Warsaw, Poland in 1965, ICOMOS serves as the professional advisory body to the World Heritage Committee. Composed of cultural heritage specialists worldwide, it is the sole international non-governmental organization dedicated to the conservation and restoration of monuments and sites, playing a vital role in evaluating World Heritage nominations submitted by all countries.
China joined ICOMOS in 1993 and established ICOMOS China, also known as Chinese Committee for the International Council on Monuments and Sites.
The 15th General Assembly and International Scientific Symposium of ICOMOS was held in Xi’an, a world-famous ancient capital, from 17 to 21 October 2005, during which the Xi’an Declaration on the Conservation of the Setting of Monuments, Sites and Historic Areas was adopted. ICOMOS International Conservation Centre in Xi’an (IICC-X) was officially founded in Xi’an on 1 October 2006. As the only operational centre established globally by ICOMOS, IICC-X provides consultancy support for World Heritage nominations worldwide and actively coordinates and cooperates on international cultural heritage conservation projects.
General Assembly
The supreme governing body composed of all ICOMOS members, convened once every three years to elect the Executive Committee and formulate the strategic plan and programme for the subsequent three-year term.
Executive Committee
The administrative organ of ICOMOS. It consists of the President, five Vice-Presidents, Secretary General, Treasurer (forming the Bureau), and twelve Executive Directors representing major regions across the globe.
The Committee draws up work plans and budgets and oversees their implementation. It approves the establishment of new National Committees and International Scientific Committees.
Advisory Committee
Composed of the chairs of all National Committees and International Scientific Committees. Its mandate is to offer advice and guidance to the Executive Committee and recommend priority projects.
International Secretariat
It implements resolutions and work plans adopted by the above committees and coordinates and manages ICOMOS daily operations. Its responsibilities include providing information and services to committees, members and the public, organizing conferences and symposia, and maintaining liaison with external organizations.
Membership Rights
★ Access to international professional networks (expert meetings, working groups, academic exchanges, training programmes, etc.)
★ Receive updates on international symposia and lectures
★ Subscribe to ICOMOS communications
★ Gain access to the archive centre
★ Purchase selected publications at discounted rates
★ Enjoy reduced or waived admission fees at numerous heritage sites and museums worldwide
Core Mandates & Functions
As the professional advisory body to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee under the World Heritage Convention, ICOMOS carries out exclusive duties including evaluating World Heritage nomination files, monitoring the conservation status of inscribed cultural heritage sites, reviewing international assistance applications submitted by State Parties, and providing expertise and support for capacity-building initiatives.
ICOMOS cultivates professional practitioners and bridges theory with practice through regular scientific symposia and training workshops. For instance, the 2025 ICOMOS Annual Scientific Symposium was held in Lumbini, Nepal.
In response to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, ICOMOS set up a Sustainable Development Goals Working Group and issued guiding documents such as ICOMOS Action Plan: Localization of Cultural Heritage and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to advance the role of cultural heritage in sustainable development. Faced with growing risks of disasters and armed conflicts, ICOMOS defined the overarching theme of its 2024–2027 Triennial Action Plan as “Heritage Resilience amid Disasters and Conflicts – Preparation, Response and Recovery”, guiding heritage sites globally to boost emergency preparedness.
ICOMOS actively promotes cross-sector collaboration, for example partnering with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on the “Nature-Culture Journey” initiative to deepen integration between natural and cultural heritage conservation theories and practices.
ICOMOS attaches great importance to the training and engagement of young professionals. It reserves talent for the future of heritage conservation via youth scholar programmes, special research projects and regular internship opportunities.
ICOMOS Board 2023–2026
President: Teresa Patrício (Belgium)
Secretary General: Jurn Buisman (Netherlands)
Treasurer: Cyrill von Planta (Austria)
Vice Presidents
European Regional Group: Riin Alatalu (Estonia)
American Regional Group: Leonardo Castriota (Brazil)
African Regional Group: Chilangwa Chaiwa (Zambia)
Arab States Regional Group: HRH Dana Firas (Jordan)
Asia Pacific Regional Group: Susan McIntyre-Tamwoy (Australia)
Members of the Board
Olufemi Adetunji (Nigeria)
Adriana Careaga (Uruguay)
Doo-Won Cho (Republic of Korea)
Andreas Georgopoulos (Greece)
Zeynep Gül Ünal (Türkiye)
Marianne Knutsen (Norway)
Celia Martínez Yáñez (Spain)
Takeyuki Okubo (Japan)
Mariana Pereira (Portugal)
Nupur Prothi (India)
Monica Rhodes (United States of America)
Gráinne Shaffrey (Ireland)
President of the Advisory Committee: Kerime Danis (Australia)
Ex-officio Board Advisors (non-voting)
Director General: Céline Noguès-Weber
Honorary Presidents: Gustavo Araoz (Cuba) and Toshiyuki Kono (Japan)
Official Website: https://www.icomos.org/
