Statutes

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.

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