U.S. Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)
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Advocacy

Because of the wide range of challenges and disruptions taking place to effective heritage conservation in the US in recent years, World Heritage USA has found it necessary to elevate advocacy as a core activity.

With a network that includes monthly information sharing meetings with representatives of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Preservation Action, the National Association of State Historic Preservation Officers, the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, the Coalition for American Heritage, and many other important national heritage conservation organizations, World Heritage USA has publicly taken positions and issued statements on the following issues:

Recent Advocacy

In Solidarity with Communities Devastated by Wildfires

World Heritage USA and ICOMOS-USA stand in solidarity with the communities, first responders, and organizations impacted by the recent devastating California wildfires. These fires threaten not only lives and landscapes but also irreplaceable cultural and natural heritage. We are committed to supporting efforts that safeguard these treasures and address the…

On the Anniversary of the 2023 Maui Wildfires

By Douglas C. Comer, Ph.D. President of ICOMOS-USA This August 8, 2024, we sadly observe the one-year anniversary of the wildfire in Maui, the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century. It left many homeless in the former capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom, Lahaina, and for many residents incinerated a lifetime…

ICOMOS Carbon Reduction Strategy

ICOMOS Carbon Reduction Strategy
Shared from ICOMOS, 16 January 2024 The ICOMOS Board approved the ICOMOS Carbon Reduction Strategy, prepared by the AdCom Sustainability and Communications Task Force (SCTF), at its meeting of 1 September 2023, in Sydney. The objective of the Strategy is to guide and encourage ICOMOS as a whole towards reducing the carbon footprint of all our…

President’s Message: Innovation and Increasing Engagement in 2024

Innovation and Increasing Engagement
A Message from ICOMOS-USA President Douglas C. Comer, Ph.D. 2024 will see critical changes for our national committee, changes driven by our increasing attention to the roles that culture plays in the dominant issues of our day: social justice and climate change. In 2023, we changed the name of our…

Call to Action: Sign for COP28 Culture and Heritage Representation

🚨 CALL TO ACTION: Sign on to this global call to include cultural heritage, the arts and creative sectors in climate policy! The world is far off track to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement: seeking new solutions is imperative. Culture and heritage shape our lives in many different…

ICOMOS Spain and ISCEAH Statement Concerning Earthquake in Morocco

ICOMOS-USA and World Heritage USA share the sentiments expressed in this statement produced by the ICOMOS National Committee of Spain and the International Scientific Committee on Earthen Architectural Heritage (ISCEAH) and reproduced below: Madrid, 14 September 2023 We are deeply saddened by the recent earthquake in Morocco and subsequent loss…

Statement on Recent Moroccan and Libyan Tragedies

Sharing in partnership with the U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield (USCBS), ASOR, the United States Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS USA), and the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA): This past week has been an immensely difficult one for much of North Africa. On Friday, September 8th,…

Statement on the Wildfire Destruction in Hawaii

The United States national committee of ICOMOS is horrified at the extent of human suffering and the destruction of heritage resulting from the fires in Maui. Our hearts go out to the many people who have lost family and friends in reported numbers that continue to increase. We send our…