Summary.
Article 1 proposes approving in full the Statutes of the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (Centro Internacional de Estudios para la Conservación y la Restauración de los Bienes Culturales), or ICCROM. They were adopted in New Delhi by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Conferencia General de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura) and amended by the ICCROM General Assembly (Asamblea General del ICCROM). Their purpose is to support the preservation and restoration of cultural property through information gathering and dissemination, research, advice, training and the promotion of practices in this field.
The statutes establish ICCROM as an international organization of member states. A UNESCO member state may join by submitting a formal declaration to the UNESCO Director-General. Other states and former members may apply to the ICCROM Director-General; the Council assesses the application, and the General Assembly decides on admission by a two-thirds majority. Membership through a declaration takes effect 30 days after its receipt, while membership by admission takes effect on the date of the decision. Every member contributes to the budget at a rate set by the General Assembly.
ICCROM consists of a General Assembly, a Council and a Secretariat. Each state appoints one delegate to the General Assembly, which sets policy, approves the biennial programme and budget, admits members, elects Council members, appoints the Director-General, sets contributions and decides on sanctions. It ordinarily meets every two years, generally in Rome, Italy. UNESCO, the Central Institute for Restoration (Instituto Central de Restauración; Istituto Centrale per il Restauro) and certain Council members participate as non-voting observers. Each member state has one vote, subject to the rules on unpaid contributions.
The Council includes members elected in their personal capacity; representatives of UNESCO, the Italian government and the Central Institute for Restoration; and non-voting representatives of the International Council of Museums (Consejo Internacional de Museos), the International Council on Monuments (Consejo Internacional de Monumentos) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (Unión Internacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza). It oversees the programme and finances, considers membership applications, recommends the Director-General’s appointment and approves the Secretariat’s structure. Elected members serve four-year terms and may serve no more than two consecutive terms. The Council meets around the General Assembly’s ordinary sessions and once between them.
The Secretariat comprises the Director-General and necessary staff, whose responsibilities are international in character and must be performed without outside instructions. The Director-General prepares proposals, programmes, budgets and reports, and carries out approved activities. The budget is biennial; its draft must be circulated at least 60 days before the session that considers it. Contributions are payable in two equal annual instalments, and voluntary contributions may also be accepted. The statutes grant ICCROM the legal capacity needed to perform its functions within each member state’s territory.
Unpaid contributions may lead to loss of voting rights, the right to nominate candidates, access to services and membership under the statutory conditions, with an exception for special circumstances and a payment plan. Members may withdraw, while remaining liable for outstanding financial obligations. Amendments and dissolution require specified majorities and advance notice. The statutes provide for their own entry into force after a General Assembly session and recognize the English and French versions as equally original. Article 2 provides that the proposed law would take effect upon promulgation. The bill concerns public bodies in the Republic of Panama (República de Panamá) involved in foreign relations and cultural heritage, as well as cultural institutions, preservation and restoration professionals, researchers and training providers.
What it proposes.
- Approval of the statutes of an intergovernmental cultural property preservation and restoration organization.
- ICCROM membership, governance, financing and internal procedures.
- Sanctions for unpaid contributions, withdrawal, statutory amendment and dissolution.
Who it would affect.
- ICCROM member states and applicant states.
- ICCROM bodies, staff and representatives.
- Cultural property preservation and restoration institutions and professionals.
Key points.
- The bill proposes approving in full the ICCROM Statutes, adopted in New Delhi and amended by its General Assembly.Art. 1
- The statutes assign ICCROM functions involving information, research, advice, training and the promotion of cultural property preservation and restoration.Art. 1
- They establish membership routes for UNESCO member states, other states and former members, and require contributions to the budget.Art. 1
- They organize ICCROM through a General Assembly, a Council and a Secretariat, with rules on composition, functions and voting.Art. 1
- They govern the Director-General’s appointment and responsibilities, the biennial budget and payment of contributions.Art. 1
- They provide consequences for unpaid contributions and procedures for withdrawal, amendment of the statutes and dissolution.Art. 1
- The proposed law would take effect upon promulgation.Art. 2