Sessions

• Organizers: ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Archaeological Heritage Management (ICAHM)
• Chair: Dr. Matthias Ripp
• Co-Chair: Dr. Matt Whincop

Description

Heritage management plans have become an internationally recognised tool intended to facilitate the safeguarding of cultural, natural, archaeological, urban, and intangible heritage. Yet, the growing challenges of climate change, rapid urban expansion, tourism pressures, disasters, conflicts, unstable geopolitical contexts and changing governance are putting these plans and related processes to the test. Many plans quickly become outdated, overly detailed without real implementation, or fail to consider cumulative impacts, Indigenous knowledge, or community values. These issues affect various heritage sites—whether expansive protected landscapes, fragile archaeological sites, historic urban areas, or living cultural traditions—underscoring the need for a more dynamic, effective and implementable protection and planning approach.

This session will examine the shortcomings of current heritage management planning approaches and introduce a new prototype framework designed to boost adaptability, inclusivity, and long-term sustainability. The first part of the session will discuss current challenges for heritage and obstacles for the effective implementation of management plans. In the second part, international examples - like adaptive area-based planning and the advantages of an integrated management system of nested plans, risk-response strategies for archaeological landscapes, and modular urban heritage frameworks in rapidly evolving cities will be introduced and analysed. Here the focus will be on successful strategies that embrace flexibility, shared governance, and regular prioritised monitoring

In the third part, potential ways forward will be introduced including a prototype for a modular, layered management system developed by a small Expert Group within ICAHM. This prototype proposes a system with a core strategic vision with prioritised objectives, supported by thematic modules (such as risk, tourism, conservation, community engagement, climate change), modular work packages, and regularly updated action plans. This structure aims to better respond to changing conditions, incorporate diverse cultural perspectives, and enable more effective coordination among institutions and communities.

Ultimately, the session aims to discuss the current state of management planning for a variety of heritage typologies based on a modern systemic understanding of heritage following a new and more comprehensive approach. The purpose is not only to analyse the existing state but also introduce specific and practical ways forward including a new more flexible and implementable model for management planning.

• Organizers: ICOMOS International Committee on Historic Cities, Towns and Villages (CIVVIH)
• Chair : Dr. Paula Cordeiro

Description

The discussion will focus on historic cities as living heritage that is constantly evolving. The preservation and enhancement of these historic urban landscapes are part of a continuous process that requires us to rethink the relationship of humans with their cultural and natural heritage.

Historic cities around the world confront urgent challenges and require new paradigms in order to address climate change, pandemics, migration flows, social evolution, overtourism, digital practices and AI. They also need to provide economic policies that offer new opportunities and address inequality and social injustice. We, therefore, need to re-think the effectiveness of the relationship between practice and theory, and to reflect on the urgency, complexity, and versatility of the action implemented through public policy.

Today we face the exigency of rethinking the Historic Cities with an explicit concern that living historic cities are in their essence complex, dynamically evolving systems; they are in continuous interaction with a changing environment - responding and adapting to survive. The process of evolution acknowledges the inevitability of new qualities but also accept loss and sacrifice.

Critical issues that need addressing include:

• Supporting the evolution of historic cities, while respecting and keeping their integrity, as well as their tangible and intangible heritage, while considering both universal and local values, and the social memory (often dissonant).
• Enhancing public involvement in the urban management processes, which are increasingly relying on specialised knowledge and advanced digital technologies.
• Accepting the historic city as an ecological process, human and non-human, which is subject to adaptation in terms of climate, greening and biodiversity enhancement.
• Building a trust-based partnership of experts and policymakers with existing and new local communities – respecting human and cultural rights while working with a social mosaic resulting from generational changes and migration.
• Developing disaster risk management strategies, from prevention to reconstruction, with a particular focus on preparedness measures, public policies, and resilient response practices.

Papers that present practical examples and case studies that analyse experience and highlight innovative approaches and methodologies are invited.

Our aim is to better understand what is new and to identify, through examples, what works and what mistakes to avoid, thus offering means to anticipate and enable the future through the management of living historic cities.

The call for papers is open to a wide range of themes, including the interaction between culture and nature; the development of participatory, inclusive and community-based approaches sensitive to the issue of equity; the integration of digital technologies, data management and artificial intelligence; and the enhanced understanding of resilience as the capacity to invent and create.

Guiding questions for proposals:

1. What is new and what is innovative?
2. What could we learn from best practices in different contexts?
3. What mistakes could be avoided?
4. What do we need to equip ourselves for the future?

• Organizers: ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Theory and Philosophy of Conservation and Restoration (THEOPHILOS)
• Chair: Dr Nigel Walter

Description

This session is called in support of the important work of the ongoing Review of the Doctrinal Text Adoption Process. In an age when local communities and regional interests have an increasing say in conservation processes, this session will discuss whether it is still feasible or desirable to attempt to develop universal principles for the conservation and care of historic monuments. It will discuss both the case for continuing to produce such documents, and the practical experiences of attempting to do so.

The session will be hosted by TheoPhilos, and will include a small number of short presentations to set the scene for what we hope will be a fruitful dialogue. The aim is to bring together as broad a range as possible of ISCs and ICOMOS members into the discussion of this important issue – all members are warmly invited.

• Organizers: ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Training (CIF)
• Chair: Dr Cristina González-Longo

PUBLICATION:

A selection of papers will be published in OPUS (Class A journal) and all the proceedings will be published online

This session in ICOMOS GA Malaysia will bring all together a panel of lead educators from different regions, so to allow for an in-depth discussion on education and training curricula and methodologies, at local and international levels. The session will be articulated in four different panels with the overarching ICOMOS-CIF theme “Knowledge, Standards, Guidelines and Resources for Education and Training in Architectural and Urban Conservation”

ICOMOS-CIF

During the first ICOMOS Assembly in Poland (1965), it was proposed the creation of five International Specialist Committees, one of them concerned the ‘Training of Architects and qualified personnel’. In 1984 Professor Andrzej Tomaszewski created the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Education and Training - CIF (Comité International d’ICOMOS pour la Formation) and became its first CIF President. Sir Bernard Fielden was invited in 1989 to prepare the first draft for the Guidelines on Education and Training in the Conservation of Monuments, Ensembles and Sites, adopted by the ICOMOS General Assembly in Colombo in 1993, where Dr Jukka Jokilehto was elected as second CIF President. These Guidelines are used around the world as criteria for education, training and accreditation of architects in conservation, including the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) Conservation Register.

The results of the ICOMOS-CIF Symposium in Florence (2022) produced the ICOMOS-CIF Decalogue for Education in Architectural Conservation), and together with the Symposia in Athens (2023) and Venice (2024), allowed us to reflect on current education and training practices and the knowledge underpinning them. They also motivated ICOMOS-CIF GACETS (Global Architectural Conservation Education and Training Survey) which results will be presented at the ICOMOS-CIF Symposium in Granada in March 2026.

• Organizers: Comité international du bois de l'ICOMOS (IIWC)
• Chair: Assoc. Prof. Imola Kirizsan

Description

The IIWC Scientific Symposium explores Living Wooden Heritage—wooden structures and traditions actively used, maintained, and shaped by communities—with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region. The one-day symposium addresses sustainability, resilience, ethics, and community engagement, highlighting traditional knowledge, craftsmanship, and indigenous participation. Through case studies, field-based experiences, and discussions, the session promotes multi- and transdisciplinary approaches to conservation, risk management, and collaborative stewardship, concluding with a roundtable and an optional site excursion to showcase practical strategies for sustaining living wooden heritage.

⁠Aims and objectives of the IIWC Scientific Symposium

The IIWC Scientific Symposium aims to create an international forum for dialogue and knowledge exchange on Living Wooden Heritage, understood as wooden heritage that continues to be used, maintained, and shaped by communities. In response to the ICOMOS Triennial Scientific Plan (TSP) 2024–2027 and its focus on Disaster and Conflict Resilient Heritage, the symposium will explore sustainable, respectful, and collaborative approaches to the maintenance, conservation and development of living wooden heritage, with particular attention to the Asia-Pacific region.

The objectives are to:

• Discuss concepts and practices related to living wooden heritage and the continuity of its use.
• Examine the role of traditional knowledge, craftsmanship, and indigenous peoples and local communities in sustaining living wooden heritage.
• Address ethical issues of respect, trust, shared responsibility and decision-making in conservation, while facilitating collaboration and improving communication.
• Promote multi- and transdisciplinary partnerships through case studies, field-based experiences, and practical approaches.

Key research questions include:

• How can living wooden heritage be defined and understood across different cultural, social, and regional contexts?
• To what extent do use, maintenance practices, and community participation ensure the resilience and sustainability of living wooden heritage, particularly in the face of disasters and conflicts, and how can modernization and economic incentives be integrated without undermining its heritage values?
• How can traditional knowledge and community-based practices inform responses to risks, hazards, and post-disaster recovery?
• In what ways can partnerships and communication strengthen preparedness, response, and capacity-building for living wooden heritage?

• Organizers: ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Committee (ICTC)
• Chair: Dr Ivan Anthony Henares

Description

Living heritage functions as a dynamic ecosystem, where communities, cultural practices, and the environment interact continuously. Tourism is part of this ecosystem — it can support or stress heritage depending on how it is managed. Realising its potential requires a mindset shift and transformative approaches, moving beyond the conventional perpetual growth model of tourism toward strategies that strengthen resilience, sustain community practices, and ensuring heritage continues to thrive amidst conflict, disasters, and social or environmental change.

This symposium explores how the 2022 ICOMOS Cultural Heritage Tourism Charter can guide such transformative action. We invite practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and community representatives to submit abstracts highlighting strategies, innovations, or lessons learned in:

• Operationalising Charter Principles to support heritage as an ecosystem.
• Community Engagement and Collaborative Governance involving local and indigenous communities.
• Risk, Conflict, and Disaster Management integrating resilience into heritage tourism planning.
• Monitoring, Evaluation, and Lessons Learned from practical case studies.

   

• Organizers: International Committee on Interpretation and Presentation of Cultural Heritage Sites (ICIP)
• Chair: Kerime Danis
• Co-chair: Darko Babic
• Co-chair: Jae-Heon CHOI

Description

Heritage interpretation may seem self-explanatory when we consider the efforts of ICOMOS over the last sixty years or so. But this is not really the case. Although contemporary heritage interpretation can be traced back to the early 20th century and is primarily associated with the establishment of the National Parks in the USA (John Muir; Enos Abijah Mills) and the development of the six basic principles of heritage interpretation (Freeman Tilden), it has existed for as long as the human civilisation. We can trace activities that can be considered heritage interpretation, albeit not necessarily in the modern sense, back to ancient Roman times or even earlier records of storytelling.

While the importance of heritage interpretation is recognised, sites which are candidates for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List very rarely undergo a check to see if the (heritage) interpretation of candidature site(s) is adequate or misleading. In general, conservation standards always take precedence, sometimes alongside other considerations (but always with a scientific focus). However, if we/ICOMOS want to be a truly accessible and fully inclusive, we must pay much more attention to how World Heritage sites are presented and interpreted, provided that conservation standards are respected and carried out in accordance with set criteria. The core issue here is the meaning and understanding of the local people who possess the heritage, and how they manage it. Crisis and peace building are yet another topic, and are never more important.

Within the conceptual framework ICOMOS-ICIP proposes several subtopics that ICOMOS members (and others) could address:

• Heritage interpretation in times of crisis
• Heritage interpretation and living heritage
• Heritage interpretation and peace building
• Heritage interpretation and memory wars
• Heritage interpretation and shared histories

All of these topics will respect the main ICOMOS-ICIP theme “Heritage interpretation in the mid-21st Century”, as well as the overarching theme for the ICOMOS 2026 General Assembly (GA).

• Organizers: IIWC, ICICH, ISCEAH, ISC20C
• Chair: Asst Prof. Erkan Kambek

Description

This session for the ICOMOS GA2026 Scientific Symposium seeks to explore a profound yet often overlooked phenomenon: the striking similarities in cultural heritage expressions—from architectural forms and construction principles to spatial organization and symbolic motifs—found across disparate cultures and geographies. From the wooden principal columns of Malaysian traditional houses and Georgian "swallow bird" homes to the narratives of spring festivals across continents, these common threads present a rich field for interdisciplinary inquiry.

Moving beyond a mere comparative analysis, this session will delve into the deeper, unifying forces that have guided human creativity to such convergent solutions. We will investigate the instincts for shelter, community, and symbolic expression that point to a fundamental oneness of humanity; the challenges of climate and material that drive innovation; and the universal languages encoded in our tangible and intangible heritage. Why do cultures separated by vast distances arrive at similar answers to fundamental human needs? The answers lie at the intersection of anthropology, environmental science, craftsmanship, and cultural studies. Insights from migration and colonial studies also help trace the transmission or parallel invention of these shared solutions.

The core thesis of this session is that the conscious recognition of these common threads in our global heritage offers a powerful antidote to narratives of cultural division. By demonstrating how different societies have independently arrived at similar expressions and solutions, we can reframe heritage from a marker of separation into a testament to the oneness of humanity. This understanding is more than an academic exercise; it is a vital tool for cultural diplomacy. It was once said that "ICOMOS is not the UN." Yet, perhaps it is something even more essential: where political bodies may struggle to find common ground, ICOMOS possesses the unique ability to gather diverse communities around a single, undeniable global similarity—our cultural heritage. This foundation fosters a profound mutual respect, builds unbreakable bridges of dialogue, and actively strengthens the pillars of a more empathetic, collaborative, and peaceful world.

We invite scholars, practitioners, and ICOMOS members to contribute papers and posters that explore these themes. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Case studies of specific heritage similarities (e.g., architectural elements, craft techniques, ritual practices, oral traditions and nature-based practices) between distinct cultural regions.
• Theoretical explorations of the anthropological, spiritual, social or environmental drivers behind convergent cultural evolution in both tangible and intangible heritage.
• The role of digital documentation and comparative analysis in uncovering and understanding these global patterns across tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
• The application of this "common threads" philosophy in heritage conservation, cultural diplomacy, intergenerational transmission and peace-building initiatives.

The aim of this session in Kuching is to weave together these disparate strands of knowledge, celebrating the unity inherent in our diverse heritage and charting a course for a more collaborative and harmonious future.

• Organizers: ISCCL, ICTC, ICOFORT, ICOMOS Japan
• Chair:
  (ISCCL): Elizabeth Brabec
  (ICOFORT): Milagros Flores Roman
  (ICTC): Ivan Anthony Henares

Description

Over the sixty years since the founding of ICOMOS, the research and practical work concerning the protection of cultural heritage have evolved considerably. Heritage studies have advanced through specialization within distinct fields, but this compartmentalization has limited cross-disciplinary collaboration. While particularly the challenges of disasters and the necessity of enhancing resilience are widely acknowledged, the significance of linking the different components of the heritage ecosystem within and across related disciplines has not yet been pursued to its full potential.

These components include tangible and intangible, cultural and natural forms of heritage and their rights-holders (e.g. animals, vegetation, rivers, and all future generations). By building on the diversity of existing and inclusive conceptualisations of heritage, this session will focus on opportunities to strengthen frameworks that integrate the diversity of heritage as ecosystem components that continuously interact and interconnect.

This ICOMOS session is hosted by three scientific committees (ISCCL, ICOFORT and ICTC) and one national committee (ICOMOS Japan). Our aim is to address and enhance both theory and practice across local and global levels. Building on the reflections and contributions of the Gunma Declaration, this work advocates for a heritage ecosystem approach (https://icomosjapan.org/ennews/). The Declaration commits us to an integrative approach to heritage ecosystems that connects diverse worldviews and knowledge domains to broaden perspectives.

For submitted abstracts and our symposium dialogues we ask that you consider the following questions. We welcome your engagement.

1. How can heritage professionals move beyond disciplinary and institutional boundaries to embrace an ecosystem approach that values interconnections between cultural, natural, tangible, and intangible heritage?
   1. How does your work relate to the heritage ecosystem approach?
   2. Which opportunities do you see emerging from working with a heritage ecosystems approach?
2. How might frameworks like the Gunma Declaration inspire new forms of collaboration and governance that respect diverse worldviews while strengthening local-to-global continuity in heritage practice?
   1. What benefits do you see to communities with a heritage ecosystem approach?
   2. How does the heritage ecosystem approach advance understanding of heritage authenticity?
3. A way forward
   1. In what ways can rights-holders beyond humans—such as animals, rivers, and future generations—be acknowledged and represented in decision-making processes concerning heritage conservation?

• Organizers: ISCSBH
• Chair:
  Dr. Maria José Freitas
  Dr Romeo Carabelli 

Description

This session examines heritage beyond isolated monuments, focusing on serial and shared built heritage connected through cultural routes. Exploring tangible and intangible dimensions, it considers how itineraries — such as the Silk Road, Camino de Santiago, or colonial trading paths — mediate historical narratives, cultural exchange, and community connections. Participants will discuss interdisciplinary approaches to conservation, governance, interpretation, and sustainable development, highlighting the potential of shared heritage to foster intercultural dialogue, global understanding, and innovative strategies for connecting heritage across regions, landscapes, and societies.

Background

In recent decades, heritage has undergone a profound transformation, moving beyond the notion of monumental uniqueness to embrace dynamic, multi-scalar entities that reflect cultural diversity and shared histories. This shift is exemplified by serial inscriptions on the World Heritage List — such as the Vauban fortifications or the Le Corbusier inscriptions spanning several continents — which embody semantic richness and cultural dynamism. These entities naturally integrate a strong value of Shared Heritage, shared both in time and space, and invite us to rethink heritage as a living relationship with the past rather than a static presence.

Alongside this evolution, we have witnessed a growing emphasis on tangible and intangible spatial entities within tourism, territorial development, and heritage management. These entities, which constitute the history of humanity in both material and imaginary dimensions—such as the cities along the Roman Via Aemilia, the Camino de Santiago, or the string of Portuguese fortresses along the African coast— are currently undergoing profound change. Attempts to “add a carat to the diamond” or integrate major entities highlight the interplay between material configurations of space and their intangible counterparts: visual and narrative dimensions shaped by itineraries, routes, and journeys. Heritage today is not only a physical reconfiguration of spaces but also a narrative experience that connects communities through shared stories and cultural routes [e.g. the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe - https://www.coe.int/en/web/cultural-routes/ ].

In light of these observations, it is essential to analyse and reflect on these multiple entities, which include singular monuments, linear experiences, and networks that share their history, heritage items, and communities. This involves addressing the multiple approaches to the constitution of a series: the legitimisation of a common character that enriches the heritage register and introduces the sharing of heritage. These new configurations call for a fresh approach to shared built heritage, as well as the creation of thematic paths where serialities — such as colonial expansion ways (Portuguese or Dutch), religious influence routes (Cluniac), and significant cultural path like the Silk Road, Sahara caravan crossings, or the modern Route 66 — find their semantic sense in the sharing of experiences. This perspective opens the way for interdisciplinary dialogue on heritage conservation, cultural exchange, and sustainable development.

This call invites scholars, researchers, and practitioners to contribute original papers exploring the intersections of shared built heritage and cultural itineraries as conduits for mutual learning among civilisations.

• Organizers: ICOMOS Sustainable Development Goals Working Group (SDGWG)
• Chair: Naima Benkari

Aim

This session aims to place communities, Indigenous peoples and local actors at the centre of heritage emergency response, recognising them as the primary first responders and decision-makers in many crises. It will explore how their knowledge, priorities and leadership can make emergency response more effective, ethical and SDG-aligned, in direct support of the ICOMOS Triennial Scientific Plan (TSP) theme “Disaster and Conflict Resilient Heritage – Preparedness, Response and Recovery”, with specific emphasis on the response phase.

The session is also designed to generate new, documented case material to be used in the forthcoming update and expansion of ICOMOS Heritage and the Sustainable Development Goals: Policy Guidance for Heritage and Development Actors (hereafter “Policy Guidance”).

Objectives

The session will seek to:

1. Document community and Indigenous first response practices
   1. Highlight concrete situations where communities, Indigenous peoples and other local actors have taken the lead in safeguarding tangible and intangible heritage during and immediately after emergencies (e.g. disasters, conflicts, displacement), including instances where official systems were absent, delayed or overwhelmed.
2. Integrate local and traditional knowledge into emergency response
   1. Examine how traditional knowledge, customary practices and locally grounded risk perceptions shape emergency actions, and how these can be recognised and supported by heritage institutions, authorities and humanitarian actors, in line with the TSP focus on capacities and knowledge.
3. Address power, rights and inclusion in emergency decision-making
   1. Analyse who is heard and who is marginalised in emergency response processes (women, youth, elders, people with disabilities, migrants, minorities, Indigenous peoples) and identify practical ways to ensure that heritage-related decisions respect human rights and inclusive participation, in line with SDGs 5, 10, 11 and 16.
4. Protect living and intangible heritage in the emergency phase
   1. Discuss how rituals, festivals, crafts, languages and everyday uses of places connected to heritage can be protected or adapted in the emergency and displacement phases, contributing to psychosocial support, social cohesion and continuity of identity.
5. Transform experiences into practical, community-led protocols and SDG-aligned guidance
   1. Move beyond descriptive case studies to identify transferable elements of community heritage emergency protocols, and link these explicitly to SDG targets so that they can be integrated into the next revision of the Policy Guidance and related ICOMOS capacity-building activities.

• Organizers: ICOMOS Indigenous Heritage Working Group (IHWG)
• Chair: Prof Bekeh Ukelina
• Co-Chair: Dr Elena Chai

Description

This session will be led by the ICOMOS Indigenous Heritage Working Group and will be in PechaKucha Format. It aligns with all 4 themes of the symposium 'Respect, Enhance, Accept and Partnership but perhaps most easily with partnership.

We invite case study presentations and observations from Indigenous people, and those working with Indigenous people, who are engaging with the nomination and /or management of World Heritage Sites. Presentations will be rapid - fire and limited to 6 min each (e.g. max 20 slides for 20 seconds each) and will be followed by a moderated discussion with opportunities for audience contributions.

The aim of this session is to present a range of heritage projects led by or partnering with Indigenous peoples. The discussion will consider questions such as:

• What are the characteristics of a ‘partnership’ approach and what are the benefits of such an approach?
• What does Free, Prior and Informed Consent look like in practice?
• How can Indigenous Peoples benefit from partnering in or leading World Heritage nominations and the on-going management of World heritage properties?
• What sort of commitments and safeguards are required to ensure positive outcomes.
• What are some of the challenges and barriers to delivering meaningful benefits to Indigenous Peoples from the World Heritage Convention?

The articles will be selected through a blind review process of the submitted abstracts by a selection committee composed of 3 members of the IHWG.

• Organizers: ICOMOS Africa and Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO)
• Chair: Chilangwa Chaiwa

Background

Africa is home to a vast and diverse range of intangible cultural heritage (ICH), encompassing oral traditions, storytelling, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events and traditional craftsmanship. These practices form the living heritage of African communities, sustaining cultural identities, values and collective memory across generations.

Yet, globalization, rapid urbanisation, climate change, migration and conflict increasingly threaten the continuity of these practices. Safeguarding Africa’s living heritage requires innovative, inclusive and community-driven approaches that balance tradition with modern realities.

ICOMOS Africa, with its continental expertise in heritage conservation and ICESCO, with its mandate to promote education, science, and culture across its 54 member states, are uniquely positioned to collaborate on strategies for safeguarding intangible heritage in Africa

Objectives

• Highlight the diversity of intangible practices across African regions, from oral traditions to craftsmanship.
• Identify challenges and opportunities for safeguarding intangible heritage in contexts of social and environmental change.
• Develop actionable recommendations for integrating intangible heritage into sustainable development, peacebuilding and community resilience.

• Organizers: ICOMOS Climate Action Working Group (CAWG)  (click to visit website)
• Chair: Ave Paulus (Focal Point of ICOMOS CAWG) and William Megarry (Past Focal Point of CAWG)

ICOMOS Climate Action Working Group )CAWG), celebrating 10 years of its existence, proposes a session with following topics: (1) empowerment of heritage communities in climate action - from climate literacy to risk assessment to adaptation; (2) cultural heritage-based climate solutions and the role of traditional knowledge - from buildings to places to ecosystems; (3) Cultural heritage in climate policies - from sites to states to international policies.

These topics align with the following symposium themes:

• Learning from Traditional Knowledge - Local and Indigenous Knowledge is key to just, effective and sustainable climate action. These knowledge systems have broad intersection with climate change and mediate how we understand and respond to it.
• Facilitating Collaboration - Climate change is a geopolitical issue and cannot be addressed by a single country or community. Collaboration based on equal partnerships and common experience is key. These relationships allow us to share experience, knowledge and resilience.
• Building Capacities - A lack of foundational knowledge remains a key barrier to climate action in the heritage sector. Building capacities and climate literacy remains one of the most effective and impactful soft adaptation strategies. It also creates a more equitable and level playing field for engagement and collaboration.

Climate change is the greatest threat facing humanity and its cultural heritage. The gravity of the situation was acknowledged at the 2020 ICOMOS General Assembly, which declared a Climate and Ecological Emergency. Climate change is the dominant cause of natural disasters worldwide and the underlying cause of several social conflicts. Adaptation options that were feasible and effective yesterday are constrained and less effective with global warming above 1,5 degrees. Losses and damages will increase, and additional human and natural systems will reach adaptation limits. Only the solidarity of international efforts can save our cultural and biological diversity.

Climate Change is impacting communities, culture and cultural rights globally on an unprecedented scale. Cultural heritage places are living landscapes. They enable people to participate in and contribute to cultural life, serving as an expression of their cultural identity. Often, they are also the sole source of work or food for communities and are therefore essential to their survival. When such places are at risk, the existence of associated communities is threatened. On the other hand, the resilience and creativity embedded in the culture and heritage of local communities give society as a whole hope for the future. Heritage communities maintain cultural continuity and practices that are adapted to low-carbon nature use, supporting livelihoods that promote the biological and cultural diversity of our homes, landscapes, and seascapes.

Empowerment of heritage communities in climate action

Global heritage initiatives have increasingly acknowledged the importance of local communities in ensuring equitable and sustainable climate action. This includes projects centring on community engagement, empowerment and rights-based approaches to climate action and climate literacy as a way to create level platforms for equitable engagement. This subsession welcomes papers from participants on these topics and others related to community engagement and climate action. Working with communities opens us a broader range of options for climate action. As noted in the ICOMOS-UNESCO-IPCC cosponsored meeting, ‘Scientists and researchers in the social and natural sciences need to collaborate proactively with Indigenous Peoples and local communities through co-production approaches and to acknowledge the value of traditional research practices’

Cultural heritage-based climate solutions and the role of traditional knowledge

This subsession welcomes the papers on culture-based solutions in climate action. Heritage sites, tangible and intangible, cultural landscapes and ecosystems, offer invaluable insights into climate adaptation and mitigation, drawing from centuries of accumulated wisdom and sustainable practices. Traditional knowledge from nature use and water management to food systems and architecture has long demonstrated its effectiveness in fostering resilience against environmental challenges. Even as tangible and intangible cultures are threatened by a changing climate, cultural heritage offers powerful motivations to act, as well as creative tools to strengthen societal responses. The worldviews, perspectives, and principles reflected in a mindset that values and safeguards cultural heritage contribute to long-term sustainability. UNFCCC Global Goal on Adaptation target 9G highlights climate resilience “ guided by traditional knowledge, Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge and local knowledge systems”

Cultural heritage in climate policies

Culture plays a fundamental role in shaping human responses to climate change. This subsession welcomes papers on the implementation of cultural heritage in climate policies at international, national and regional level, including historical perspectives from 10 years of activities of ICOMOS Climate Action Working Group. ICOMOS, with its strong commitment to climate action and worldwide network of experts, is ideally positioned to respond to global challenges with all its knowledge. The ICOMOS Climate Action Working Group (CAWG) has throughout 10 years contributed to policies, networks, and projects that advocate cultural heritage in the context of climate action. ICOMOS, being the partner of the Group of Friends of Culture Based Climate Action, advisory body of UNESCO, observer organisation in UNFCCC, founding partner in the Climate Heritage Network, Preserving Legacies, Heritage Adapts Initiative and many others, has been and is continuing to advocate cultural heritage in climate policies. The breakthrough moment for cultural heritage in recent years within the UNFCCC has been the inclusion of cultural heritage as one of the targets of the Global Call on Adaptation and continuing work on the indicators of adaptation in respect of cultural heritage and cultural heritage based solutions.