International heritage officials announced the establishment of a foundation to protect at risk heritage sites at a press conference in Xi'an yesterday, the day before the five-day 15th general assembly of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) was set to begin there.

"With the ICOMOS' 40th anniversary, the idea to set up an ICOMOS foundation for the protection of heritage at risk worldwide came just at the right moment," said the organization's President Michael Petzet.

Petzet said that just a few days ago two German companies based in the world heritage city of Lubeck agreed to support the setting up of the foundation with US$50,000 each.

Dragerwerk AG, one of the donors, is a leading manufacturer of medical equipment. The other, L. Possehl & Co. mbH, is an international trade and electronics firm with subsidiaries in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Singapore and Malaysia.

The foundation was initially proposed 40 years ago by Piero Gazzola, first ICOMOS president as the "institution constituting the court of highest appeal in the restoration of monuments and conservation of ancient historical centers, of landscapes and places of artistic and historical importance," Petzet said.

The ICOMOS assembly will include a symposium themed "monuments and sites in their setting – conserving cultural heritage in changing townscapes and landscapes."

It is also due to pass a Xi'an Declaration, aiming to provide methods, suggestions and guidelines for the evaluation, management and protection of cultural heritage focusing on rapid urbanization, especially in Asia.

Founded in Warsaw, Poland in 1965, the ICOMOS is an organization of professionals throughout the world dedicated to the conservation of the world's historic monuments and site. It is the only international non-governmental organization of this kind in the conservation of the architectural and archeological heritage. 

It is also recognized by UNESCO to evaluate nominations for inclusion on its World Heritage List.

China joined the ICOMOS in 1993 and established the Chinese National Committee for ICOMOS (ICOMOS China).

(China.org.cn by Wang Zhiyong, October 17, 2005)