Activities – ICLAFI

Research

We conduct comparative research on domestic and international laws, and administrative and financial practices relating to cultural heritage

Discourse

Our committee members participate in seminars, symposia and meetings

Collaboration

Our committee members collaborate on matters relating to ICLAFI’s mandate and programmes

Assessment

We assist the World Heritage Panel established by the 1972 UNESCO World Heritage Convention to assess legal issues relating to management and protection of potential World Heritage Sites

Since 2020

2021—Gliwice, Poland: Cultural Heritage and Intellectual Property.
2021—Ljubljana, Slovenia (hybrid conference): The Right to Heritage as a Catalyst for Sustainable Development.
2022—İzmir, Turkey (hybrid conference): The Efficacy of Public and Private Partnerships (PPP) in Heritage Conservation.
2023—Warsaw, Poland: Human Remains in the Context of Cultural Heritage.
2024—Guadalajara, Mexico: The Defense of Cultural Heritage through Jurisdictional and International Mechanisms.

2010–2019

2010—Warsaw, Poland: Legal Protection of International Heritage Sites.
2011—Karlskrona, Sweden: Defending the Military Heritage; Legal, Financial and Administrative Issues.
2012—Toluca, Mexico: Various Aspects of Mexican Legislation.
2014—Israel: The Role of Non-government Organizations in Heritage.
2015—Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India: Legal and Administrative Framework for Protection of Heritage.
2016—Tallinn, Estonia: Historical Perspective of Heritage Legislation.
2017—Amersfoort, Netherlands: The UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage.
2018—Jeju, South Korea: Comparative Perspectives—Contemporary Issues on Law, Religion, Heritage and Conservation.
2019—Gaziantep, Turkey: Defining the Role of Local Authorities in Managing and Propagating Cultural Heritage.

2000–2009

2000—Brijuni, Croatia: The Economic Impact on Financing Conservation and Restoration.
2001—Ein Bokek, Israel: Legal Methods to Promote Urban Conservation.
2002—Athens, Georgia, United States: Listing Cultural Properties.
2003—France: Cultural Heritage and Decentralization.
2004—Plovdiv, Bulgaria: Exempt from Tax and VAT—Heritage Conservation Funding Problems.
2005—Brussels, Belgium: The Protection of Archaeological Heritage.
2006—Hiroshima, Japan: World Heritage Sites and Buffer Zones.
2007—Sibiu, Romania: The Role of the Advisory Bodies in the Preservation of Historic Monuments; the Relationship between Administrative and Advisory Bodies.
2008—Helsinki, Finland: Criteria for the Conservation of Built Heritage.
2009—Cartagena, Colombia: Public and Individual Participation in Planning, Building and Listing Procedures.

1997–1999

1997—Weimar, Germany: Legal Structures of Private Sponsorship.
1999—Toledo, Spain: Protection through Planning: Public Participation in Planning and Listing Processes.

2025 ICLAFI Symposium and Annual Meeting

The 2025 Symposium and Annual Meeting will be held in Dublin, Ireland, from 25 to 27 September 2025. The theme for the symposium is cultural rights.

Click here for more information.

The image at the top shows monumental statues from a tomb-sanctuary dating to the first century B.C.E. built by King Antiochus I of Commagene on the top of Mount Nemrut in southeastern Turkey. Photograph by Dr. Jack Tsen-Ta Lee.