Morocco was unanimously elected on Wednesday in Ouro Preto, a historic city in southeastern Brazil, to the position of Vice-President of the Annual General Assembly of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) for 2024.
The Kingdom is represented in this role by Aboulkacem Chebri, President of ICOMOS-Morocco, alongside Nepal, which will host the next General Assembly of this global organization in 2025. “This is the first time a country from the Arab region has been elected as Vice-President of the General Assembly of this organization,” Chebri noted in a statement to MAP.
He added that this recognition highlights Morocco’s position on the international stage and the growing influence of ICOMOS- Morocco within this organization, which serves as an advisory body to UNESCO on World Heritage matters.
On this occasion, ICOMOS President Teresa Patricio emphasized that monitoring and responding to crises impacting heritage and the functioning of national committees is a crucial task for the Board of Directors. “Our Crisis and Conflict Monitoring Unit tracks various crisis situations around the world, including those in Sudan, Ukraine, Gaza, Turkey, and Syria this year.”
In this context, Chebri informed MAP that the Arab Group had prepared a detailed report on the state of heritage in the Middle East, with Morocco actively participating in its preparation.
The General Assembly, chaired this year by Brazil, was preceded by a series of meetings from November 10 to 12 involving the Board of Directors, as well as scientific and advisory councils, along with gatherings of national and regional committees to foster networking and collaboration opportunities. An international working group of emerging professionals also met to promote the new generation of heritage experts.
These activities continue until November 17 with a scientific symposium held alongside the General Assembly on the theme: “Revisiting the Venice Charter: Critical Perspectives and Contemporary Challenges,” marking the 60th anniversary of this founding charter’s signing in 1964. The objective is to reexamine its established principles in light of contemporary challenges in heritage conservation.
This gathering provides a rich platform for research, information exchange, training, and capacity-building. Participants have the opportunity to present papers, attend seminars, workshops, site visits, and engage in in-depth discussions on cross-cutting approaches among conventions, as well as on historical contexts and contemporary challenges in preservation.
On this occasion, ICOMOS will launch its new three-year scientific plan titled “Heritage Resilient to Disasters and Conflicts: Preparedness, Response, and Recovery.” This plan emphasizes the importance of strengthening capacities in response to disasters and conflicts affecting world heritage. Furthermore, the issue of heritage in the face of climate change remains a key concern for ICOMOS.
Founded in 1965 in Paris, ICOMOS now includes 113 national committees and 31 specialized scientific committees, involving Moroccan researchers who are members of the National Committee.
The office of ICOMOS-Morocco (2022-2025 term) is headed by Aboulkacem Chebri, an archaeologist, specialist in Moroccan-Portuguese heritage and historical monument restoration, and director of the Center for Studies and Research on Moroccan-Lusitanian Heritage (Ministry of Culture).
With a strong academic background and roles in various Moroccan institutions, Chebri is recognized for his numerous publications and dedication to various heritage preservation associations.
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