Supporting the Work and Mission of ICOMOS-USA, the U.S. Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites
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Advocacy

Because of the wide range of challenges and disruptions taking place to effective heritage conservation in the United States in recent years, World Heritage USA provides a unique voice for the protection of global heritage in the face of threats to these irreplaceable resources.

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

Call to Action: Sign for COP28 Culture and Heritage Representation

šŸšØ 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, theĀ United States Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS USA), and theĀ 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…

Public Comments on the Next Potential World Heritage Nominations from the U.S.

World Heritage USA submitted comments to the Office of International Affairs of the National Park Service regarding the next potential nominations from the US World Heritage Tentative List to UNESCO for possible future inscription onto the World Heritage List. Read the entire letter here or below. June 23, 2023 The…

President Douglas C. Comer Moderates United Nations Conference Panel

President Douglas C. Comer, Ph.D., moderated ā€œCulture as an Enabler to Unlock the Key Challenges and Gaps in the Implementation of the SDGsā€ at the United Nations on 5 July 2023. The panel was part of an interactive dialogue on Culture and Sustainable Development entitled ā€œCulture as a global public…

Supporting World Heritage Sites: A Letter to the New York Times

We urge the U.S. to pay its Dues to the World Heritage Commitee
Following recent testimony to the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations in support of funding U.S. dues for the World Heritage Committee, Trustee Thomas Cassidy submitted a letter on this important matter to the editor of the New York Times. As Cassidy notes “Full U.S. engagement with World Heritage requires paying…

Chaco Culture World Heritage Site Landscape Gains Temporary Protection

On June 2, 2023, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced a 20-year withdrawal of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands within a 10-mile radius of Chaco Culture National Historical Park and World Heritage Site from oil, gas and mineral extraction leasing via Public Land Order No.7923. The withdrawal will…