Championing NZ architectural heritage on the world stage

Championing New Zealand architectural heritage on the world stage

Nelson conservation architect Ian Bowman will shortly be travelling to New Delhi to represent New Zealand members of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). This is the only global non-governmental organization of the world’s experts in architectural, landscape and archaeological heritage conservation. Ian is the New Zealand national president and will be joining 110 other national presidents and more than 1000 members to the three yearly General Assembly.

ICOMOS sets standards for conservation throughout the world through international and national charters and conventions. New Zealand guides local conservation through its own charter. Apart from use by members, it is known particularly throughout the town-planning world as the Charter is used in many district and regional plans to guide good decisions in resource consent decisions. The ICOMOS NZ Charter is the only international charter that advises on conservation of indigenous cultural heritage.

ICOMOS is a partner with UNESCO in selecting and monitoring World Heritage sites and a particular issue Ian will be discussing is the lack of progress with inscribing New Zealand cultural heritage sites. Four sites were proposed 10 years ago but the previous government cancelled any work that would progress these nominations and the former minister was unresponsive to calls by ICOMOS NZ for discussions. ICOMOS NZ has already formed a good relationship with the new government and is hopeful that there will finally be progress.

The 19th General Assembly in New Delhi will be electing a new President and a new Secretary General. For the first time in its 57 year history candidates for these top positions are from the Asia Pacific region. Professor Toshiyuki Kono of Japan is the only candidate for President and architect Peter Phillips from Australia is the only candidate for Secretary General. Having a more Asia Pacific focus will bring a greater understanding to the world heritage community of the special issues the Asia Pacific faces. Natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis and direct effects of global warming on built and landscape heritage in the region are very real issues that ICOMOS is dealing with through its experts.

One particular event organized by ICOMOS Australia, New Zealand and Pasifika is a conference in Fiji in October 2018 on Pacific conservation issues. This is one of a number of events proposed in the region leading up to the next General Assembly which is likely to be confirmed for Sydney in 2020. This will be an enormous opportunity for anyone interested in built and landscape heritage conservation to hear and learn from the world’s experts in our own backyard.

© Scoop Media