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GHF Congratulates John Hurd on Re-election to President of the ICOMOS International Advisory Committee

October 12, 2009

 

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GHF CONGRATULATES JOHN HURD ON RE-ELECTION
TO PRESIDENT OF THE ICOMOS INTERNATIONAL
ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Global Heritage Fund’s Director of International Conservation Re-Elected unopposed for Another Three Years

October 12, 2009 – Valletta, Malta - At the recent meeting of the ICOMOS Advisory Committee in Malta, John Hurd was re-elected unopposed for another three years as the President of the ICOMOS International Advisory Committee.  ICOMOS, the International Council on Monuments and Sites, is an advisory body to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.

“We are so proud of John Hurd and this recognition by his peers.  This is a direct result of his unwavering dedication to ICOMOS and its mission to save our global heritage,” said Jeff Morgan, Executive Director of Global Heritage Fund. “John Hurd represents the finest in conservation excellence and dedication to some of the most difficult and poorest countries and regions of the world.”

The Advisory Committee, which meets annually to update the implementation of the ICOMOS program, comprises the Chairs of the National Committees and International Scientific Committees. Its function is to advise the Executive Committee by bringing forth suggestions and recommendations and by responding to requests from the Executive Committee on program priorities and orientations.

Following a B.Sc. in the Geology of Clays Bristol (1969), John Hurd received a two-year Conservation Science diploma and a 2-year ‘objects’ conservation higher National diploma at Lincoln, leading to work as a sculpture conservator intern at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London from 1991. In 1992, John became a partner at Lincoln Conservation Studio, a busy atelier specializing in large Architectural objects conservation. In 1998, John formed Hurd Conservation International, an International field consultancy with architectural and archaeological projects, planning and training across Asia for several International agencies; he was a senior conservation consultant to UNESCO, Cultural Heritage division, on the Silk Roads cities of Central Asia.

In June 2006, John Hurd joined Global Heritage Fund as International Conservation Director, committing a large amount of his time to this work. John is deeply committed to GHF’s immediacy, effectiveness and ability to take well-targeted action quickly and with the highest quality of consultation.

John has a particular interest in the conservation of World Heritage Sites, both Archaeological and architectural, through his work with ICOMOS U.K. and ICOMOS International. He chaired the earth structures committee of ICOMOS U.K. 1994-2001.  In 2006, John was elected as President of the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee for Earthen Architectural Heritage [ISCEAH].  In October 2006, John was first elected as President of the ICOMOS Advisory Committee and is an ex officio member of the ICOMOS International Executive Committee.

About Global Heritage Fund
Global Heritage Fund is an international conservancy dedicated to preserving endangered world heritage sites in developing countries to improve lives of local people. GHF enables successful, long-term preservation of the developing world’s most important archaeological sites and ancient townscapes in developing countries, creating new opportunities for economic growth. To achieve this, Global Heritage Fund deploys a well-proven Preservation by Design methodology: 1) comprehensive master conservation planning, 2) sustained preservation through local community involvement, 3) excellence in scientific conservation, and 4) partnerships and complementary funding. Global Heritage Fund is a registered non-profit international conservancy based in Palo Alto, California and London, U.K..  Web site: http://www.globalheritagefund.org.

About ICOMOS
The International Council on Monuments and Sites is an association of professionals that currently brings together approximately 9500 members throughout the world. ICOMOS works for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage places. It is the only global non-government organization of this kind, which is dedicated to promoting the application of theory, methodology, and scientific techniques to the conservation of the 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).

ICOMOS is a network of experts that benefits from the interdisciplinary exchange of its members, among which are architects, historians, archaeologists, art historians, geographers, anthropologists, engineers and town planners.  The members of ICOMOS contribute to improving the preservation of heritage, the standards and the techniques for all types of cultural heritage property: buildings, historic cities, cultural landscapes and archaeological sites.