Activities

• manages requests for new Italian nominations for the inscription of sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List, coordinating activities and providing technical and scientific advice for the preparation of nomination dossiers for new sites and related Management Plans, and taking care of the subsequent phases of the investigation in collaboration with the other central offices of the MiC, with the territorial Superintendencies and with the Institutes empowered with autonomy, as well as with local authorities and other stakeholders possibly involved in the nomination processes;
• through the Permanent Delegation of Italy to UNESCO, handles relations with the World Heritage Centre, who is responsible for implementing the Convention;
• manages relations with similar structures in the Ministries of Culture of European and non-European countries in order to define common strategies in the implementation of the Convention and to promote transnational nominations;
• provides technical support to the managers of registered sites for the drafting and implementation of the Management Plans; coordinates the periodic monitoring of registered sites, handling the preparation of the periodic reports on the state of implementation of the Convention in Italy;
• coordinates the verification activities and prepares the necessary documentation in relation to possible risks, in progress or potential, reported by the World Heritage Centre on the registered sites;
• promotes and handles scientific activities and research and training initiatives;
• promotes the UNESCO Italian Cultural Heritage and coordinates the organisation of events (meetings, seminars, conferences, exhibitions, presentation of studies and/or editorial products …);
• collaborates in Italian cooperation activities in third countries for the protection and conservation of heritage, for the obligations connected with the Convention;
• participates: a) in national delegations for the General Conference, for the Intergovernmental Committees, for the General Assembly; b) in the inter-ministerial tables for the promotion of UNESCO World Heritage in Italy and abroad; c) cultural projects and events decided in such contexts.

• manages requests for new Italian nominations for the inscription of elements and projects on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists, coordinating and providing technical and scientific advice for the preparation of the nomination dossiers and for the related “Safeguarding Measures” and their updating, and taking care of the subsequent stages of the investigation;
• manages relations with the other central MiC offices, with the territorial Superintendencies and with the Institutes empowered with autonomy, as well as with the communities and stakeholders involved in the nominations for the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists, including for the purposes of the training courses related to the drafting of the nomination dossiers for new Elements and Projects, the respective safeguarding measures and the promotion and implementation of activities and measures for the subsequent phases;
• through the Permanent Delegation of Italy to UNESCO, handles relations with the UNESCO Secretariat in charge of implementing the Convention;
• handles relations with similar structures at the ministries of culture and other cultural institutions of European and non-European countries, in order to define common strategies in the implementation of the Convention and to promote multinational nominations;
• provides technical support for the coordination of the registered Elements for the drafting and implementation of the safeguarding measures plans;
• promotes and handles scientific activities and research and training initiatives;
• collaborates in Italian cooperation activities in third countries for the protection and promotion of the intangible cultural heritage for the obligations connected with the Convention;
• promotes the Italian UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage and coordinates the organisation of events (meetings, seminars, conferences, exhibitions, presentation of studies and/or editorial products …);
• participates: a) in national delegations for the General Conference, for the Intergovernmental Committees, for the General Assembly; b) in the inter-ministerial tables for the promotion of the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage in Italy and abroad; c) cultural projects and events decided in such contexts.

• in compliance with the implementation of the 1954 Hague Convention on the “Protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict” and its two Protocols (1954 and 1999), follows the preliminary investigation of requests to grant “enhanced protection” of Italian cultural property and the entry in the related “List of cultural property under enhanced protection” provided for in the Second Protocol of 1999, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and with the Ministry of Defence;
• through the Permanent Delegation of Italy to UNESCO in Paris, in the event of armed conflict, t transmits the request for enhanced protection of its cultural property to the Committee for the protection of cultural heritage. During the annual meeting, the Committee, after examining the requests, decides to grant or refuse enhanced protection.

• draws up the periodic National Report on the state of application of the Convention in collaboration with the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage and with the competent services of the: Directorate General of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape; Directorate General of Museums; Directorate General of Libraries and Italian Copyright; Directorate General of Archives;
• manages, through the Permanent Delegation of Italy to UNESCO, relations with the Secretariat of the Convention;
• it investigates the dossiers relating to requests for returns of cultural property illegally exported to the countries and from countries that have ratified the Convention, in which the principles of the same Convention concerning the illicit import, export and transport of ownership of cultural property apply, to be submitted to the attention of the Committee for the recovery and return of cultural property, renewed with Ministerial Decree 30/10/2019 n. 504.

• manages the procedures for declaring and notifying underwater areas and/or sites of cultural interest to the UNESCO offices in charge, within the limits, with the objectives and methods provided for by the Convention and by the law ratifying it, L. 157/2009, preparing the drafting of specific dossiers and handling the phases of the investigation;
• handles relations with the other central MiC offices, with the territorial Superintendencies and with the entities empowered with autonomy in relation to the implementation of the Convention and Law 157/2009, also verifying any requests from third parties proposing declarations and notifications of underwater areas and/or sites of cultural interest, without prejudice to the limits indicated above;
• through the Permanent Delegation of Italy to UNESCO, handles relations with the UNESCO Secretariat in charge of implementing the Convention;
• participates: a) in national delegations for the Conference of States Parties; b) in the national delegations for the meetings of the technical and scientific Advisory Committee; c) to the inter-ministerial tables for the promotion of UNESCO underwater cultural heritage in Italy and abroad; d) cultural projects and events decided in such contexts;
• handles relations with similar structures at the Ministries of Culture and other cultural institutions of European and non-European countries, in order to define common strategies in the implementation of the Convention also promoting, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, bilateral, regional or in any case multi-lateral agreements;
• in agreement with the other MiC offices and/or with third parties (universities, research institutes, national trade associations, national teaching federations in the underwater sector, etc.), promotes the importance of the Convention and its operational Guidelines, including through the implementation of institutional initiatives aimed at the knowledge and safeguarding of the underwater cultural heritage;
• promotes and handles scientific activities, research and training initiatives (meetings, seminars, conferences, exhibitions, presentation of studies and/or editorial products) related to the Convention, also in agreement with the other central MiC offices and with the territorial Superintendencies.

• manages and coordinates relations with other national and international institutions also for the purpose of drafting the Periodic National Report and for the implementation of activities, services and measures provided for by the Convention;
• manages and coordinates relationships with cultural communities, cultural and artistic professionals, civil society and stakeholders involved in the activities, partnerships and measures for implementing the Convention;
• through the Permanent Delegation of Italy to UNESCO, handles relations with the UNESCO Secretariat in charge of implementing the Convention;
• manages relations with similar structures at the Ministries of Culture and other cultural institutions of European and non-European countries in order to define common strategies in the implementation of the Convention and promote cooperation and exchange activities as envisaged by the same;
• provides technical support to the projects for the International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD) and to the activities foreseen by the Convention for the purpose of integrating the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions into the sustainable development plans;
• coordinates verification activities and prepares the necessary documents in relation to the measures to protect “Cultural Expressions in special situations”;
• promotes and handles research, analysis and training activities;
• collaborates in Italian cooperation activities in third countries for the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions for the obligations connected with the Convention;
• promotes the protection and promotion of the diversity of UNESCO cultural expressions and coordinates the organisation of events (meetings, seminars, conferences, exhibitions, presentation of studies and/or editorial products …);
• participates: a) in national delegations for the General Conference, for the Intergovernmental Committees, for the Conference of the Parties; b) at the inter-ministerial tables for the protection and promotion of the diversity of UNESCO cultural expressions in Italy and abroad; c) in cultural projects and events decided in such contexts.

The MiC participates with its representatives in the work of the National Technical Committee of the MAB (Man and the Biosphere) Programme, established by Decree of the Minister for the Environment and the Protection of the Territory and the Sea, who chairs it.
The Committee is composed of representatives of the Ministry of the Ecological Transition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry
Policies, the Ministry of University and Research, the Ministry of Culture, the Italian National Commission for UNESCO, the National Research Council, the Command of the Forestry, Environmental and Agri-food Units of the Carabinieri Corps.
This varied composition aims to guarantee the interdisciplinarity of the scientific skills necessary for the implementation of the MAB, an intergovernmental scientific programme launched by UNESCO in 1971 to promote the best Sustainable Development practices.
The National Technical Committee provides scientific support, study, research and coordination of the National Network of Biosphere Reserves, terrestrial, marine or coastal ecosystem complexes, included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR). The Committee carries out assessments in the nomination and periodic review processes of the Biosphere Reserves.

The MiC participates with its representatives in the UNESCO Italian National Geoparks Committee, also made up of representatives of the Italian National Commission for UNESCO, the National Geological Service, the Italian Federation of Parks and Natural Reserves, the National Council of Geologists, the Ministry of the Ecological Transition and a representative for each of the Geoparks recognised as a UNESCO Global
Geopark. The Committee carries out support and coordination activities for UNESCO Global Geoparks in Italy, in the areas of nominations, monitoring and initiatives.
The UNESCO Italian National Geoparks Committee promotes international cooperation within the Global Geoparks Network and its regional networks, including the European Geoparks Network, through the involvement of Italian Geoparks.

The Ministry of Culture has no direct competence in implementing the programme. Through its representatives within the National Commission, it participates in the decision to grant support for nomination proposals.

for each financial year to be announced:

• prepares the Notice for the submission of intervention proposals to be funded in accordance with the Law, identifying the evaluation criteria;
• updates the Model for submitting funding applications;
• updates the Model for reporting the technical and administrative monitoring of new funded projects;
• publishes on the Ministry’s website the Notice for the submission of intervention proposals and circulates it to the contact persons of the UNESCO Sites and Elements by circular mail;
• provides assistance to the contact persons for the correct submission of requests, through the appropriate computerised platform.

as Technical Secretariat with functions to support the activity of the Commission for the evaluation of the interventions to be funded pursuant to law n. 77 of 20 February 2006:

• convenes the meetings and prepares the minutes of the same;
• prepares all the technical documentation useful for the Commission’s assessment;
• verifies the presence of the proposed interventions within the UNESCO Site Management Plans;
• verifies the regularity and correctness in the technical and administrative reporting of the projects previously funded at the sites, proposing to the Commission, for each proposer, the score relating to the “spending capacity” which constitutes one of the 3 criteria for evaluating the nominations;
• prepares the draft Decree and transmits it to the Minister’s Cabinet for subsequent obligations, the acquisition of the necessary agreements and the subsequent signature of the Minister.
• communicates the successful registration of the Decree for the allocation of funds and for the disbursement of funds, at the stages of progress of the projects:
• verification of the technical-administrative adequacy of the reports transmitted and, if necessary, the related validation;
• verification of the availability of the chapter on the general accounting system;
• prepares the decree for payment and insertion of the payment into the SICOGE economic and financial accounting system; in the case of peremptory funds, it requests re-registration to the Ministry of Finance and, upon re-registration, arranges the subsequent commitment and payment;
• communicates to UNESCO contact persons the validation of the reporting and the start of the administrative procedure for the transfer of funds (or request for clarifications and/or to send further useful documentation).

The correct management of the obligations connected to law 77/2006 also involves:

• periodic updating of the monitoring and filing sheets of the reporting models sent;
• filing of technical and accounting documents and updating of databases;
• periodic implementation of summary tables of technical and administrative monitoring and on the progress and implementation of funded projects;
• administrative and accounting obligations related to the management of the chapters provided for by the State Budget regulations;
• constant verification of the methods of implementation, detection of critical issues and periodic review of the implementation Circular;
• updating of the web page on law 77/2006;
• technical-administrative assistance activities to UNESCO sites and associations of multiple sites, through dedicated contact lines (specific telephone numbers; dedicated email address: legge77.unesco@beniculturali.it; certified electronic mail mbac-legge77@mailcert.beniculturali.it).

In line with obligations related to the promotion and communication of the Law, the Office also performs these activities:

• Organization of workshops with information and training interventions for those responsible, in any capacity, for the management of UNESCO Sites and Elements;
• Publication of printed materials and informative materials on Law 77/2006”