1. UNESCO
In 1972 UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) passed the World Heritage Convention, defining the kind of natural or cultural sites which can be considered for inscription on the World Heritage List. Different countries (States Parties) identify potential sites and agree their role in protecting and preserving them. By signing the Convention, each country pledges to conserve not only the World Heritage sites situated on its territory, but also to protect its national heritage. The States Parties report regularly to the World Heritage Committee on the state of conservation of their World Heritage properties.
Today, The World Heritage List includes 851 properties. These include 660 cultural, 166 natural and 25 mixed properties in 141 States Parties. As of October 2006, 184 States Parties have ratified the World Heritage Convention. In Russia these include the historic centre of St Petersburg, The Kremlin and Red Square, The Cultural and Historical ensemble of the Solovestki Islans, Lake Baikal, the Volcanoes of Kamchatka, the Golden Mountains of Altai, the Kazan Kremlin, and many other sites. However, none are 20th Century, highlighting an imbalance in the World Heritage List of a dearth of modernist buildings.
www.unesco.org
2. ICOMOS
The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) was created in 1964. It is an international association of professionals with 7,500 members. ICOMOS works for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage. It is a global organisation dedicated to promoting the application of theory, methodology, and scientific techniques to the conservation of architectural and archaeological heritage. Its work is based on the principles enshrined in the 1964 International Charter on the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites (the Venice Charter).
In order to counteract the rapid deterioration of many modernist sites in 2005 ICOMOS created a Twentieth Century Heritage Committee. Its members are encouraged to work together with organisations like DOCOMOMO to nominate 20th century sites for World Heritage status, monitor 20th century sites and promote their importance through publications, conferences and other events.
www.icomos.org
3. DOCOMOMO
DOCOMOMO (the Documentation and Conservation of buildings, sites and neighbourhoods of the Modern Movement) is an international organization that promotes the study, interpretation and protection of the architecture, landscape and urban design of the Modern Movement. It was founded in 1990 in the Netherlands and today it has national chapters or working parties in 49 countries and over 2,000 individual members. It is an important organization in the realm of preservation, and in the broader field of architectural culture. The organization brings together historians, architects, town-planners, landscape architects, conservationists, professors, public officials and students. Among its many activities DOCOMOMO publishes a bi-annual journal, an effective way of exchanging new research.
www.docomomo.com
4. The Twentieth Century Society (UK)
The Twentieth Century Society exists to safeguard the heritage of architecture and design in Britain from 1914 onwards. The Society’s prime objective is education towards an appreciation and a better understanding of the built legacy of the Twentieth Century.
The Twentieth Century Society was founded as the Thirties Society in 1979 and changed its name in 1994. They were instrumental in the adoption of the ‘Thirty Year Rule’ the minimal period of time after which a building can be made a monument in the UK.
The society works with English Heritage, commenting on statutory listed building applications. Over the past twenty years the Society has published many Notes to accompany their tours, both local and international; proceedings of conferences, and Journals. These publications represent a considerable body of scholarship on twentieth century architecture and design.
http://www.c20society.org.uk
5. SAVE Europe’s Heritage (UK)
SAVE Europe’s Heritage was founded in 1997 as the sister organization of SAVE Britain’s Heritage. The latter has existed for 30 years and is one of the most effective preservation groups in Britain. Founded by journalist Marcus Binney, SAVE works through the press, writing reports on groups of threatened buildings or threatened areas.
SAVE believes in taking action. One of their most important publications is the SAVE Action Guide which empowers local groups and individuals to wage campaigns for endangered buildings. SAVE also puts forward practical solutions for the rescue and use of historic buildings in danger in the recognition that only a small percentage of these buildings can be preserved purely as showplaces or museums. In exceptional cases, SAVE is willing to prepare and implement schemes for the rescue of individual buildings to show that rescue is possible and viable.
SAVE Europe's Heritage concern extends to buildings of all dates. In 2007 they published a report: Moscow Heritage at Crisis Point (Московское Наследие: Точка Hевозврата), а co-publication with MAPS (the Moscow Architecture Preservation Society).
http://www.savebritainsheritage.org
6. MAPS (The Moscow Architecture Preservation Society)
MAPS was set up in May 2004 by a group of international journalists and architects who work in close cooperation with preservationists, architects and historians within Russia and abroad to raise awareness about the present destruction of Moscow’s historical buildings. They write free bilingual news bulletins and use the press to give Russian preservationists and Muscovites a greater international voice. MAPS believes that every effort should be made to preserve certain buildings and is concerned with buildings of all dates. MAPS aims to convince the Moscow Government, developers and architects that the unchecked demolition of old Moscow is not in the city's long-term interest. MAPS monitors specific buildings in Moscow. In May 2007 MAPS published a report: Moscow Heritage at Crisis Point (Московское Наследие: Точка Hевозврата), а co-publication with SAVE Europe's Heritage.
www.maps-moscow.com
7. The World Monuments Fund (WMF)
The World Monuments Fund (WMF) was founded in 1965, since when it has worked at more than 450 sites of all periods in over 80 countries.
From its headquarters in New York City—and offices and affiliates in Paris, London, Madrid, and Lisbon—WMF works with local partners and communities to identify and save important heritage through innovative programs of project planning, fieldwork, advocacy, grant-making, education, and on-site training.
Every two years the WMF releases a Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites to call international attention to cultural heritage sites around the world threatened by neglect, vandalism, armed conflict, climate change, or natural disaster.
The strength of the WMF is its ability to mobilize and coordinate its contacts throughout the world. Any site that makes the list can be confident that the WMF will be committed to improving conditions for the site.
www.wmf.org
8. UIA
The International Union of Architects was founded in Lausanne (Switzerland) in1948, to unite the architects of the world without regard to nationality, race, religion, or architectural doctrine, and to federate their national organisations.
Today the UIA represents more than 1,300,000 architects worldwide. It has several heritage programmes including a 20th Century Architectural Heritage Work Programme. UIA has support the retention of major 20th century buildings in their original settings to governments such as the Parliament buildings in Bangladesh by Louis Kahn, and the submission of the Sydney Opera House by Jørn Utzon for the UNESCO World Heritage List.
http://www.uia-architectes.org
9. Europa Nostra
Europa Nostra is a pan-European organisation representing over 220 heritage NGOs active throughout Europe. Europa Nostra was founded in 1963 in Paris.
Europa Nostra aims to promote heritage and its benefits in the public consciousness and to make heritage a priority for public policies both at European and national levels. Its specific objectives are to promote high standards in the fields of heritage conservation, architecture, urban and rural planning and to advocate balanced and sustainable development.
In early 2006, Europa Nostra was selected as the new Liaison Office for the co-ordination of the "European Heritage Days" a joint action of the Council of Europe and the European Commission.
In June 2007, participants of the Europa Nostra Forum in Stockholm “Add Modernism!” adopted a declaration calling on “all European Institutions and Governments to apply the same rules, standards and funding structures to the protection and enhancement of architecture of the Modern Movement as are applied to all other architectural heritage”.
http://www.europanostra.org