April 18

It is always a good time to reflect on the efforts made to conserve monuments and historical sites. In 1959, a historic heritage rescue was achieved that would set a precedent for the conservation of sites: the relocation of the Egyptian Temple of Abu Simbel, which was at risk of being submerged by the construction of the Aswan Dam. Countries such as Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, the United States, Sudan, and the countries of the United Arab Republic, among others, joined this initiative. More than 900 specialists participated, and the work took approximately six years. International cooperation through UNESCO successfully relocated the monument to higher ground, preventing its loss. It remains there today as a testament to history.

As a result of this effort, international institutions, organizations, and documents were created that established criteria for guaranteeing the protection and safeguarding of cultural assets of universal value, such as the International Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites of Historical and Artistic Importance of May 1964. Similarly, the Venice Charter of the same year defines a historical monument as an architectural work located within an urban area that has historical significance. This definition encompasses not only grand architectural works but also modest structures that have acquired cultural significance or are associated with an important event over time. The preservation of monuments and sites is fundamental, since their loss or destruction is irreversible and damages the historical memory of a society.

Sites and monuments are exposed to a range of threats, both natural and those caused consciously or unconsciously by humans, such as the current armed conflict in Ukraine. However, there is another factor that, while not intended to harm heritage, negatively impacts sites: mass tourism. Cities like Venice, where tourism is uncontrolled, put monuments at risk and even jeopardize their continued inclusion on the World Heritage List.

ICOMOS International has been an ally and has been committed to forming expert committees for specific cases, with the aim of conserving historical monuments. This organization carries out outreach activities, congresses, training sessions, conferences, and talks; it actively participates with UNESCO in the site evaluation process; it monitors their state of conservation; and it actively collaborates in the meetings of the World Heritage Committee, where sites to be included on the World Heritage List are analyzed.

Each year the World Heritage List grows, currently comprising 1,154 sites, 897 of which are Cultural Heritage sites. This means that, in addition to inscription, each country assumes responsibilities that go beyond a mere distinction. Countries commit to protecting and conserving the outstanding universal value that earned them UNESCO recognition.

It was on April 18, 1982, that the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) presented the initiative to establish the “International Day for Monuments and Sites” at a colloquium organized by the ICOMOS committee in Tunis. This initiative was approved at the 22nd session of the UNESCO General Conference, held in Paris in 1983. Since then, activities and actions have been carried out worldwide to raise awareness of the efforts required for conservation.

Heritage belongs to everyone, and we are all responsible for caring for it and passing it on to future generations.

 

Casa Batlló, Barcelona, ​​Spain. Photo: Erika Rentería Ruiz, May 2015