Tiziana Vicario

Italian Presidency of the Council of Ministers - Civil Protection Department

FR-IT Bilateral Cooperation in Heritage Science – 8^th Edition

TAKING ACTION IN THE FACE OF EXTREME EVENTS

Firenze, Opificio delle Pietre Dure, 

September 26th, 2024

PROCULTHER-NET: a cooperation model for the protection of cultural heritage at risk

The Union Civil Protection Mechanism

When an emergency overwhelms national response capacities, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) enables a coordinated assistance by

2001 – 2024

has responded to over 700 requests for assistance inside and outside the EU.

all EU Member States

10 Participating States

MEXICO- September 2017

UCPM experts mission for supporting local authority in defining guidelines and criteria for the reconstruction of damaged cultural heritage

UKRAINE – July 2022

EU Mechanism (Italy, Germany, Norway, etc.) sent material and equipment for the protection of cultural heritage

PROTECTING MEDITERRANEAN CULTURAL HERITAGE DURING DISASTERS

(2016-2018)

The general objective was to increase dialogue and exchanges over disaster management and reinforcing collaboration among national civil protection authorities of Italy, Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Palestine and the Union Civil Protection Mechanism with an inter disciplinary dimension.

​

Some key findings:

• Scope to deeper the cooperation on CH protection
• The «winning» CP pragmatic approach
• Need do define a position to share

WHERE WE STARTED FROM

From the point of view of the project composition

(2022-2023)

(2024-2025)

(2019-2021)

(2016-2018)

�Main strategies to reinforce the protection of cultural heritage at risk of disaster�

• Promoting a structured collaboration between Cultural heritage and Civil protection actors at National and European level
• Building upon the competences and recent experiences of the partners and other interested stakeholders, by ensuring a process of scaling-up and capitalisation on the existing capacities
• Participatory approach for the definition of a common methodology and tools to protect cultural heritage
• Involvement of relevant stakeholders and countries for the definition and revision of the tools produced and to allow a cross-fertilization process
• Advocacy and capacity building process (training, exercise)

​

Looking for a common language

English

French

97 participants

EU MS/UCPM PS (23): Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey.

EU Neighbours (4): Israel, Palestine, Switzerland, UK

Latin American and the Caribbean Region (LAC) and North America (8): Argentina, Barbados, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru, USA

International Organisations (3): ICCROM, UNDRR, UNESCO.

Project outreach�

December 2022 European Commission REPORT TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on the cultural dimension of sustainable development in EU actions

Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network

Launched in December 2021, the Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network is one of the tools of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism and its community. It was set up to strengthen the efficiency and effectiveness of civil protection training and exercises, promote innovation and dialogue, and enhance cooperation between Member States’ national civil protection authorities.

PROCULTHER-NET�1° phase

Establish a European thematic community on the protection of cultural heritage at risk of disaster to support and complement the efforts made by the European Union to strengthen cooperation between the EU Member States, UCPM Participating States in the field of civil protection

Building up processes of capitalisation�A need/capacity-based approach

Ex-Ante Feasibility Study

THEMATIC/OPERATIONAL CONTENT

TO BE ADDRESSED

INTEREST IN A THEMATIC COMMUNITY

NEEDS

CAPACITIES

ACTOR MAPPING

​

​

​

Legal framework

Policies and planning

Scientific community

International exchange and support

Tools and resources to ensure CH assets

Stakeholders mapping

Human Resources

Training and exercise

Communication to the public

Thematic Community for the protection of CH

SURVEY ON THE FOLLOWING ISSUES:

�Building up processes of capitalisation�Ex-ante feasibility study

​

8 “National representatives of both Cultural Affairs and Civil Protection/DRM Agencies”

24 “National Civil Protection/DRM Agencies

12 “National Cultural Heritage/affairs Agencies”

8 International organisations/NGOs

8 Academia/Research centers,

7 private entities

* Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Luxemburg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweeden, Switzerland,The Netherlands, Türkiye, Chile, Mexico

28 Countries

PROCULTHER-NET 2�2° phase

• consolidate the inclusion of the protection of cultural heritage at risk sector in the UCPM processes and structures

• increase disaster preparedness capacities and knowledge at European and national levels throughout the UCPKN

Obj.1 facilitate the collect, sharing and integration of knowledge and advancing preparedness capacities at European and national level by encouraging cooperation both within and between organisations and sectors

Obj. 2 expand individual knowledge, skills and performance to support preparedness capacities and facilitate coordination between stakeholders across relevant disciplines for CH protection at national and UCPM level.

Main Activities 1° result

- Mapping of UCPM-funded initiatives

​

- Workshops and seminars for strengthening national working groups. The national working groups serve to identify practices, lessons learnt and strategies to be proposed at European level for strengthening the protection of cultural heritage at risk.

​

- Dissemination plan including an analysis and strategy on how to achieve the incorporation of project results by actors external to the project

Activities 2° result

• Events useful for the identification of new actors and practices/innovations to be shared within the UCPKN:

a) Workshops with UCPM-funded projects

b) Workshop with Mediterranean countries/experts

c) Thematic Workshop focused on innovation and research

d) Study visits

​

• Publication of 4 technical bulletins

​

• Organisation of 3 training sessions

​

• Update of the document "Key Elements of a European Methodology to address the Protection of Cultural Heritage during Emergencies".

Project outreach�

More than 1,600 contacts-mailing list

More than 6,000 visits to the project site

LinkedIn (636 followers)

X – Twitter (420 followers)

Project outreach�

Publication by the European Parliament CULT Committee “Protecting Cultural Heritage from armed conflicts in Ukraine and beyond” that mentions PROCULTHER-NET as European Commission - ECHO initiative May 2023

​

December 2022 European Commission REPORT TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on the cultural dimension of sustainable development in EU actions

PROCULTHER and PROCULTHER-NET among the 34 most exemplary and innovative projects for risk management funded by DG ECHO from 2020 to 2023.

​

�Conclusions�

Nexus between Cultural Heritage and Disaster Risk Management (DRM): A Win-Win Approach to Save Our Heritage.

Heritage is Humanity’s Treasure – Protect it Together.

Technical cooperation in Cultural Heritage protection as a tool for dialogue.

No Need to Reinvent the Wheel – Scale Up and Share.

Beyond response – Aim for Sustainable Risk Reduction.

​

​

​

​

​

Thanks for your attention!

Tiziana Vicario

PROCULTHER-NET 2 Project Manager

Italian Presidency of the Council of Ministers - Civil Protection Department

​

​

​

Tiziana.vicario@protezionecivile.it

+39 0668202058

https://civil-protection-knowledge-network.europa.eu/projects/proculther-net-2