Heritage Malta’s association with the Council of Europe, both today and through its forerunner the Museums Department, takes many forms and has included participation in initiatives ranging from exhibitions and conferences to research and funding. The Council of Europe sees diversity as the heart of Europe's cultural richness, which in turn underpins our common heritage and is the basis of unity. The Council of Europe's cultural programme aims to promote awareness of Europe's multi-faceted cultural identity and to develop it and to meet the challenges facing European society.

http://www.coe.int/T/E/Cultural_Co-operation/Culture/

Cultural Olympiad (3rd June – 28th October 2003)

The first Olympic Games of the 21st century and of the 3rd millennium is being held in Athens in 2004. The Greek Government, as the hosts, have decided to strengthen the cultural significance of the Olympics by creating the Cultural Olympiad initiative.

The Cultural Olympiad, spanning the four-year period from 2001 to 2004, is being seen as more than a secondary aspect of the preparation for the Olympics; rather part of its essence.

The Cultural Olympiad is an international institution which aims to send out a message to the world. It is seen as a celebration of cultural creativity, and as a bridge to peace and reconciliation among the peoples of the world. The cultural Olympiad, working closely alongside the International Olympic Committee and the Athens 2004 Committee, is linked to UNESCO, the UN, and all the countries of the world.

Heritage Malta is already participating in an initiative of the Cultural Olympiad by providing 23 artefacts from the National Museum of Archaeology for an Exhibition entitled 'Sea Routes – From Sidon to Huelva. Interconnections in the Mediterranean. 16th - 6th century BC.’ The exhibition is being hosted at the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens and until 28th October 2003.

http://www.cycladic-m.gr/en_version/temporary.htm

International Council of Museums (I.C.O.M.)

The International Council of Museums (ICOM) is dedicated to the development of museums and the museum profession, and operates globally for the preservation of cultural heritage. Committed to the promotion and facilitation of professional cooperation, ICOM is a worldwide network for museum professionals of all disciplines and specialisations. ICOM is represented in Malta with its own branch.

Created in 1946, ICOM is a non-governmental organisation maintaining formal relations with UNESCO and having a consultative status with the United Nations' Economic and Social Council. As a non-profit organisation, ICOM is financed primarily by membership fees and supported by various governmental and other bodies. It carries out part of UNESCO's programme for museums. ICOM is based in Paris (France).

The 17,000 members of ICOM in 140 countries participate in the national, regional and international activities of the organisation: workshops, publications, training, twinning programmes, and the promotion of museums through International Museum Day (May 18, annually).

ICOM's activities respond to the challenges and needs of the museum profession and are focused on the following themes:

• Professional cooperation and exchange
• Dissemination of knowledge and raising public awareness of museums
• Training of personnel
• Advancement of professional standards
• Elaboration and promotion of professional ethics
• Preservation of heritage and combating the illicit traffic in cultural property

http://www.icom.museum
ICOM (Malta) contact the Chairperson, Ms Theresa Vella on Tel: 21233034.

I.C.O.M.O.S. (International Council on Monuments and Sites)

ICOMOS is an international non-governmental organisation of professionals, dedicated to the conservation of the world's historic monuments and sites. ICOMOS provides a forum for professional dialogue and a vehicle for the collection, evaluation, and dissemination of information on conservation principles, techniques, and policies. Dr. Ray Bondin, a member of the Heritage Malta Board, was re-elected to the International Executive of ICOMOS at the General Assembly in Madrid, December 2002. The Executive has elected him Secretray General Adjoint.

http://www.icomos.org

ICCROM (The International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property)

The decision to found the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property was made at the 9th UNESCO General Conference in New Delhi in 1956 at a time of mounting interest in the protection and preservation of cultural heritage. The intergovernmental organization, now known as ICCROM, was established in Rome in 1959. It is the only institution of its kind with a world-wide mandate to promote the conservation of all types of cultural heritage, both movable and immovable. It currently comprises over 100 Member States, as well as Associate Members from among the world’s leading conservation institutions.

ICCROM aims at improving the quality of conservation as well as raising conservation awareness in everyone from schoolchildren to statesmen alike. It aspires, through conservation, to make cultural heritage benefit people in every part of the globe. ICCROM contributes to preserving cultural heritage in the world today and for the future through five main areas of activity: Training, Information, Research, Co- operation and Advocacy.

http://www.iccrom.org

Spring of Museums

Heritage Malta this year participated in the annual Spring of Museums, a Europe-wide initiative aimed at increasing public awareness of the rich collections and cultural experience of museums. Malta marked the initiative with two events: an open day at two museums in Birgu; and a children’s treasure hunt.

The Museums Directorate of the Government of France launched Spring of Museums in 1999. Since then, the campaign has registered increasing success and has become a major event on Europe’s cultural calendar. More than 1,200 establishments from across Europe are estimated to have participated in this year’s initiative which was held for the first time under the auspices of the Council of Europe.

Events this year were organised under the title of ‘Mysteries and Discoveries’, a theme inspired by Pliny’s ‘Natural History’ in which he gives account of the mythical origins of the discovery of painting and sculpture.

http://www.printempsdesmusees.culture.fr

UNESCO

Our association with UNESCO takes many forms. We have participated in numerous initiatives and been beneficiaries of UNESCO expertise and funding, in particular as regards the conservation and interpretation of Malta’s unique prehistoric monuments.

http://www.unesco.org/culture

UNESCO World Heritage Sites – The Megalithic Temples of Malta

The UNESCO World Heritage List was established under the terms of the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage adopted in November 1972 at the 17th General Conference of UNESCO.

It is the list of the world’s natural and cultural heritage recognised as exhibiting outstanding universal value in order to protect them against the threat of damage in a rapidly developing world. The list is not intended to provide for the protection of all properties of great interest, importance or value, but only for a select list of the most outstanding of these from an international viewpoint. As on 29 June 2002, it contained 730 properties.

The Hal Saflieni Hypogeum was inscribed in the list in 1980, as being deemed to ‘bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilisation which is living or which has disappeared’.

The Ggantija Temples, Gozo, were inscribed in 1980. Only Ggantija was included in 1980 (considered as two temples). In 1992 this was extended to five other prehistoric temples: Hagar Qim, Mnajdra, Tarxien, Skorba and Ta’ Hagrat, and the World Heritage Site nomenclature was renamed The Megalithic Temples of Malta.

The site therefore includes seven temples in all, but in reality refers to six sites since Ggantija is classified as two temples. The temples are considered to be unique architectural masterpieces, given the limited resources available to their builders, and therefore ‘an outstanding example of a type of building or architectural or technological ensemble that illustrates a significant stage in human history’.

Valletta, Malta’s 16th century capital city, is also inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a unique, fortified city of mainly original baroque architecture which was founded by the Knights of the Order of St John following the Great Siege by the Saracens in 1565. It takes its name from its founder, the Grand Master of the time, the Frenchman Jean Parisot de la Valette.

http://www.whc.unesco.org

MINERVA PLUS (MInisterial NEtwoRk for Valorising Activities in digitisation PLUS)

MinervaPLUS intends to enlarge the existing network of European Ministries to discuss, correlate and harmonise activities carried out in digitisation of cultural and scientific content, for creating an agreed European common platform, recommendations and guidelines about digitisation, metadata, long-term accessibility and preservation. It aims to co-ordinate national programmes, and its approach is strongly based on the principle of embeddedness in national digitisation activities.

The involvement of governmental organisations, including Heritage Malta, intends to contribute at bringing together a wide network of research centres, cultural organisations and companies interested in digitisation aspects.

http://www.minervaeurope.org

UCL Centre for Sustainable Heritage

The need for the Centre for Sustainable Heritage was recognised by three departments of University College London: The Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment, the Institute of Archaeology and the School of Library, Archive and Information Studies and will draw on their strengths and
expertise.

The Centre has identified, and aims to fill, the gap between disciplines responsible for the physical protection of the moveable and immovable heritage. Its contribution to a sustainable future for the heritage is through participation in collaborative environmental, scientific and technological research, innovative teaching, advice and consultancy. The Centre engages in 'problem-definition' and `solution design' projects to produce evidence and innovative ideas on heritage protection, challenging the traditional divide between preservation and use.

It is the Centre's belief that scientific and technological research helps to create an understanding of the contribution that heritage preservation makes to society by elaborating on issues such as heritage value, cultural tourism, cultural identity, quality of life, urban planning, maintenance and whole life costs, economic competitiveness and wealth creation.

The Centre is committed to work at an international level whenever possible and actively seeks partners to further this aim.

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/sustainableheritage

Excellence Summer Short Courses - Malta, August - October 2005

The 2005 project for the Excellence and Short Courses, was born as a consequence of the partnership and accord of cooperation between Palazzo Spinelli and the Malta Centre for Restoration.

The agreement is only part of a vast program in order to create a series of centres of high professional standard in the field of restoration and vocational training in the Mediterranean area.

The experience and the know how of more than 25 years of Palazzo Spinelli, combined with the professionalism and the modern premises, for technology and Labs equipment of the Malta Centre for Restoration, join in this common project, on the highest levels in terms of quality, teacher's skills and course programs.

http://www.spinelli.it/malta05/english/index_eng.html

ENCoRE

Heritage Malta was accepted as a full member of the European Network of Conservation and Restoration Education (ENCoRE) during their sixth general assembly held recently in Maastricht, the Netherlands.

ENCoRE was founded in 1997 to convene higher educational institutions operating in the field of conservation-restoration. The organization promotes research and education in the field of conservation and restoration of cultural heritage, according to the directions and recommendations given in the Professional Guidelines of the European Confederation of Conservator-Restorers Organisation E.C.C.O. and the Document of Pavia of October 1997.

As a result of this membership, Heritage Malta's academic conservation courses and research activities will be promoted at a European level and the Agency's academic arm now benefits from an increase in collaboration, dialogue and exchange of information and ideas with other partners.

http://www.encore-edu.org