Statutes
of the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Fortifications and Military Heritage
(adopted on the 8th February 2005 by the ICOMOS Executive Committee in Paris)
STATUTES
I. Establishment
Article 1
The ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Fortifications and
Military Heritage (hereafter referred to as “the Committee”) is
established in accordance with article 14 of the ICOMOS Statute (adopted
by the 5th General Assembly) and the Eger principles for international
scientific committees (adopted by the 10th General Assembly).
II. The scope of the committee
Article 2
The subject of the interest of the committee includes different items
connected with the fortifications and the military heritage like:
Structures, including fortifications, (including fortified towns),
works of military engineering, arsenals, harbours, barracks, military
and naval bases, testing fields, and other enclaves and constructions
built and/or used for military purposes.
Landscapes, including
battlefields, territorial, sub-aquatic or coastal defence installations
and earth works, ancient or recent.
Commemorative monuments, including war memorials, trophies, cemeteries, cenotaphs, and others plaques or marks.
III. Mission
Article 3
The missions of the Scientific Committee on Fortifications and Military Heritage are:
- To promote the knowledge of the resources, including their
historical, architectural, artistic and scientific values, and to
encourage the preservation and maintenance of fortifications, military
and naval structures, fortress landscapes and other objects and sites
connected with the military heritage.
- To be available to help ICOMOS accomplish its role in the
context of international convention (specially the World Heritage
Convention and the Hague Convention) and in its cooperation with UNESCO
and other International Organizations, and be willing to receive
mandates from the Executive Committee to that effect.
- To carry out specialized studies and promote the application of
professional expertise in regard to the preservation and conservation
problems of historic fortifications and military heritage.
- To pursue actively international cooperation for the
identifications, protection and preservation of the historic
fortifications, military structures, military landscapes and sites,
other military heritage monuments, alone or with cooperation with:
-
National and International Scientific Committees of ICOMOS, especially
with respect of ICOMOS’ tasks and needs for UNESCO’s Cultural Heritage
Division and World Heritage Center.
- Other cooperative partners of ICOMOS, for example ICCROM, ICOM, DOCOMOMO, TICCIH, Blue Shield etc.
-
Other international and national bodies, such as NATO, Ministries of
Defence of different countries, Ministries of Culture of different
countries.
IV. Aims and Activities
Article 4
In order to fulfill its mission, the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Fortifications and Military Heritage will:
- Establish links and networks between conservation professionals,
architects, historians, landscape architects, military architecture
specialists, archaeologists, recording and inventory specialists,
cultural heritage specialists and other professionals.
- Establish close cooperation with the other National Committees and International Scientific Committees of ICOMOS.
- Establish contacts with and between the relevant institutions,
universities, nongovernmental organizations and government organizations
that specialize in the research, preservation, conservation and
management of historic fortifications, defensive structures and fortress
landscapes.
- Organize and encourage the promotion and exchange of ideas,
knowledge, experience and the results of research in regard to
fortifications, military heritage and fortress landscape resources,
their values, the possibilities of their preservation, appropriate
conservation methods, and principles of proper maintenance.
- Create the database for the historic fortifications, military
heritage and fortress landscapes which takes into consideration the
specific needs of the differing geographical areas, types and
conditions.
- Create the database for the fortification monuments in danger.
- Organize and initiate international conferences, symposia, workshops, practical tutorials and specialized courses.
- Provide scientific expertise for specific projects and for
solving difficult or complicated preservation and conservation problems.
- Carry out specialized studies on professional problems with which ICOMOS is concerned.
- Define and adopt an ICOMOS Scientific Program for the
preservation of historic fortifications and military heritage, which
reflect worldwide needs in the field and in UNESCO.
- Organize campaigns; initiate the processes for the protection
of the most valuable fortifications, military heritage and fortress
landscapes and try to initiate the procedures for those monuments to be
inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in the mother countries.
- Closely cooperate with experts and groups of specialists and
help ICOMOS in the works and programs to prepare documents for UNESCO
World Heritage List in scope of the nominations of historic
fortifications and military heritage monuments and help ICOMOS in the
preparation of monitoring and periodic reports.
- Help ICOMOS to prepare guidelines for the inclusion of
properties in the List of World Heritage in Danger and the list of the
fortification and military heritage monuments at risk.
- Cooperate with specialists responsible for handling heritage
properties in many Ministry of Defence and in NATO for including their
operational perspective to the programs of the protection of military
heritage and of military heritage at risk.
- Submit an annual report on its activities to the ICOMOS Bureau (Secretary General).
V. Membership, Executive and Boards
Article 5
The
membership is open to ICOMOS members with professional background and
substantial experience in different spheres related to the historic
fortification and military heritage field.
Article 6
The Committee adopts three types of membership (a three-tier membership):
Expert Members – Unlimited number per country. They have no limits of
service terms. The Committee on the basis of proven and recognized
experience must accept them.
Voting Members – Appointed by the
National Committees from their rosters of Expert Members, limited to one
per country or as proposed by the members of the Bureau of the
Committee. Voting Members elect the leadership of the Committee and
other governing councils are adopted.
Informant Members – Appointed
by the National Committees. They are without the expertise needed for
expert and voting members, but wish to gain knowledge from the
committee. Informant members do not vote and have no term limits.
Article 7
The Committee takes its decisions by majority vote of the voting
members present at the meeting. Present at the meeting are also absent
voting members who have given proxy to present voting members. A voting
member shall not represent more than two absent voting members.
Article 8
Out of voting members the Committee elects the Bureau for a term of
office of three years. The members of the Bureau should not serve more
than three consecutive periods of office at the same position of the
Bureau.
Article 9
The Bureau of the Committee consists of:
President
Two Vice-Presidents
Up to six Coordinators (one for one continent) as is necessary
Article 10
The Committee shall meet at least once every three years at which
time the Bureau shall be elected. The Bureau shall meet at least once
annually, and the president shall report on such meetings to the
Committee.
Article 11
A secretariat shall be maintained to support the administration of
the Committee and implement the Committee programme. The President may
appoint a Secretary for such a term as is necessary.
Article 12
The Bureau is responsible for the realization of the Committee’s
Scientific Program, for the cooperation with other ICOMOS Scientific
Committees, for the cooperation with other international institutions,
the preparation of the Committee’s meetings, the implementation of the
Committee decisions, the preparation of the election process and the
annual report.
VI. Financing
Article 13
The activities of the Committee shall be financed by funds allocated
by ICOMOS from its annual budget, by funds obtained by the Committee on
its own initiative, from international and national organizations
including ICOMOS National Committees and by funds from any other source
provided by way of gift, bequest, donation or sponsorship towards the
achievement of the objective of the Committee.
Article 14
The members of the Committee obtain themselves the funds necessary to
ensure their own participation in the activities of the Committee,
especially their presence at meetings.
VII. Languages
Article 15
The official languages of the Committee are English and French. Communication within the Boards will be in English.
VIII. Miscellaneous
Article 16
Any
interpretation of those Statutes should be made in accordance with the
Statutes of ICOMOS. The Executive Committee of ICOMOS shall arbitrate
any disputes over the interpretation of the Statutes.
Article 17
The Statutes enter into force with the approval by the Executive Committee of ICOMOS.