International Day For Monuments and Sites (IDMS) also known as World Heritage Day is annually observed across the globe on 18 April to encourage local communities and individuals across the world to recognise the significance of cultural heritage in their lives, identities, and communities.
Theme:
The theme for International Day for Monuments and Sites 2024 is “Disasters & Conflicts Through the Lens of the Venice Charter.”
- The theme for IDMS is annually proposed by the International Council for Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).
- The theme has been chosen to mark the 60th anniversary of the Venice Charter (31 May 2024).
Venice Charter: The Venice Charter was established in 1964 by the 2nd International Congress of Architects and Technicians of Historic Monuments. It is an international charter with a set of guidelines for the conservation and restoration of historic monuments and sites worldwide.
Background:
i.The International Day for Monuments and Sites (IDMS) was first established in 1982 by the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).
ii.ICOMOS’ establishment of IDMS was approved by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) at its 22nd General Conference in 1983.
iii.IDMS was first observed in 1983 by UNESCO.
ICOMOS Scientific Symposium 2024:
i.The 2024 ICOMOS Annual General Assembly, Advisory Committee meetings (Scientific Council, National Committees, and Advisory Committee), and Scientific Symposium will take place in Ouro Preto, Brazil, from 10 to 17 November 2024,
ii.ICOMOS will launch its new Triennial Scientific Plan (TSP) 2024-2027 during the 2024 Annual General Assembly.
- ICOMOS set the theme “Disaster and Conflict Resilient Heritage – Preparedness, Response, and Recovery” for its TSP (TSP) 2024-2027.
iii.The 2024 Scientific Symposium of the ICOMOS General Assembly, provides a platform to transition from the current TSP 2021-2024 (Climate Change Reboot) to TSP 2024-2026.
iv.The Symposium will explore the theme “Revisiting the Venice Charter: Critical Perspectives and Contemporary Challenges.”
Objective:
i.The Symposium aims to revisit the Venice Charter in a contemporary context, focusing on 5 key sub-themes:
- Historical Context and Heritage Concepts;
- A Cross-Cutting Approach Between Conventions;
- Universalism and diversity: Rereading the Doctrinal Documents from Diverse Perspectives;
- Contemporary Challenges in Heritage Discourse; and
- Disaster and Conflict Resilient Heritage
ii.The Symposium will also emphasise the Eurocentric origins of the Venice Charter and advocate for a critical rereading.
Key Points:
i.At present, there are 42 World Heritage sites in India, out of which 34 are cultural sites, 7 are natural sites and 1 is mixed sites.
ii.The Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas (Karnataka) and Santiniketan(West Bengal) were added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list of 2023.
- It consists of the shrines in Beluru and Halebidu in the Hassan district, and Somnathapura in the Mysuru district of Karnataka.
- The 3 temples on the list were enlisted as the ‘The Sacred Ensembles of Hoysalas’
iii.The “Maratha Military Landscapes of India” will be India’s nomination for recognition on the UNESCO World Heritage List for the year 2024-25.
iv.The 12 parts of this nomination are:
- Salher fort, Shivneri Fort, Lohgad, Khanderi Fort, Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala Fort, Vijay Durg, Sindhudurg in Maharashtra; and
- Gingee Fort in Tamil Nadu
About International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS):
ICOMOS, a non-governmental organisation, was founded in 1965 after the adoption of the Charter of Venice.
President– Teresa Patricio (Belgium)
Secretary General– Jurn Buisman (Netherlands)
Treasurer General– Cyrill von Planta (Austria)
Headquarters– Paris, France
