Casemate 76

Rob Weir emailed from Australia seeking detailed information on Brickhill AA site, Hong Kong. I forwarded his request to Bill Clements, who was able to give a full and detailed reply, but this is a reminder that requests for information have always been a feature of Casemate, and are welcome for publication.

ICOMOS, the International Council on Monuments and Sites, at its October 2005 General Assembly meeting held in Van, China, confirmed the establishment of the International Scientific Committee of Fortifications and Military Heritage (ICOFORT). ICOMOS, established in 1965 and headquartered in Paris, is a non-governmental organization dedicated to the conservation of the world's historic monuments and sites.

Much of the work of ICOMOS is accomplished through its scientific committees, now 26 in number. The committees are composed of authorities in the identification, evaluation, and protection of historic properties, and seek to improve the conservation of many types of cultural resources. One important function of ICOMOS and its scientific committees is counseling UNESCO on the designation of properties to the World Heritage List (see Casemate 73, p17-19. Ed)

ICOFORT will meet in the Channel Islands in 2006; Krakow, Poland, in 2007; and Quebec, Canada, in 2008.

Two members of the FSG/CDSG are also members of ICOMOS and serve as vice-presidents of ICOFORT. They are Philippe la Hausse de la Lalouvière, Mauritius, and David M Hansen, US; Stephen Spiteri, Malta, has also been appointed.

(Published in CDSG Newsletter February 2006, reprinted in a modified form, with permission).