14-16 December 2011 UNESCO - Paris: SIXTH MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.

19-21 October 2011 - MUSIS - Graz (Austria): INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEERING CONFERENCE, European Heritage in our hands, Volunteering as mutual challenge and opportunity in civic society.

7-11 April 2011 – March 2012: ExCHange, Experience for Change within the Cultural Heritage Sector – A twelve months project funded by the EU in the frame of EU & Turkey Civil Society Dialogue II – Culture and Art Component. WATCH is implementing the project in partnership with an NGO named FOCUH (Friends of Cultural Heritage - Grant Beneficiary), and associate members are University of Kocaeli (Turkey), Sapienza University of Rome (Italy) and Municipality of Korfez (Turkey).

22-24 November 2010 UNESCO - Paris: FIFTH MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.

20-24 October, 2010 Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart Üniversitesity, Çanakkale, (Turkey): WORLD UNIVERSITIES CONGRESS - Protecting cultural heritage. 'Expanding the role of non-governmental organizations in the protection of the cultural heritage' A review of the margins for civil society to help implement preventive policies and contrast actions when war rules are about to dictate the conditions.

5-6 July 2010 Mechelen (Belgium)‏: CIVIL SOCIETY AND HERITAGE – Conference on Voluntary organisations active in the field of Heritage.

March 2010 – September 2012: in the frame of the EU project Cooperation in Urban Development and Dialogue 'CIUDAD', WATCH is partner of the three-years project named WAR FREE WORLD HERITAGE LISTED CITIES, with Council of the United Municipalities of Jbail-Byblos (Lebanon), the Board of the Municipality of Mtskheta (Georgia) and the Old City Rehabilitation and Development Fund – OCRD (Georgia).

24-25-26 February 2010 ICCROM – Rome, (Italy): Course Planning Meeting on 'First Aid to Cultural Heritage in Times of Conflict'.

13-14 December 2009 Sanremo,(Italy) International Institute for Humanitarian Law: International Experts Meeting on: 'Guidelines for the implementation of the Second Protocol of the 1954 Hague Convention for the protection of Cultural Properties during times of armed conflicts.

13-14 May 2009 Rome,(Italy) Academy of Romania: L'oro dei Daci – International Conference on the role of Civil Society in theme of protection of Cultural Heritage. Actions of prevention and contrast to illicit and damage in areas of armed conflicts. Co-organised by Academy of Romania and the Museum of the Forums.

9-13 December 2008 Rome, (Italy) Roman Aquarius and National Museum of Oriental Arts VI International Conference: Science and Technology in Archaeology and Conservation.

13-14 June, 2008, Jeju (Republic of Corea):The Executive Council of the UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organisation approved WATCH application as an affiliated member. Final ratification of the decision should be taken by UNWTO General Assembly due in Kazakhstan in October 2009.

3 April 2008, Ferrara (Italy): XV Salone dell'Arte del Restauro e della Conservazione - Fair of Art and Restoration Conference on 'The role of CH operators and stakeholders in the preparation for Cultural Heritage protection during times of peace'.

4-5 March 2008. Pisa (Italy):10th EC Interreg MEDOCC programme – Lecture on 'Cultural Heritage Management - Tra buone intenzioni e realtà in evoluzione. Sulla necessità di conciliare politica, cultura, scienza e tecnologia applicate alla gestione del patrimonio culturale.

7-9 February 2008, Tallin (Estonia): International conference. Protecting Cultural Heritage in times of Armed Conflicts. Second Protocol to the Hague Convention – How to make it work.

2007 Rome (Italy): Conference on ‘Patrimonio culturale a rischio da cause naturali e dall’azione dell’uomo: sviluppi recenti e vecchie malattie’. CRIC Thematic Seminar on ‘Ambiente: Sfide e Soluzioni'.

17-19 December 2007. Leuven (Belgium): Seminar on ‘Preventive Conservation, Monitoring, Maintenance of the architectural heritage’- PreCOMOS. Raymond Lemaire International Centre for Conservation (RLICC) at the K.U. of Leuven. International initiative for the creation of a specialised chair at UNESCO

23-24 November 2007. Bologna (Italy): Conference: ‘Proteggere l’Arte proteggere le persone' – key speaker at the Final round table on 'Cultural Heritage protection within the current armed conflict’. Oratory of San Filippo Neri.

6-9 November 2007 in Vienna (Austria): 10th Civil Military Relations Seminar (CMRX). Cultural ‘Heritage under threat during armed conflicts. Drawing scenarios for an active civil society in times of crises’. National Military Academy.

7-11 July 2007, Granada – Baeza (Spain): V International Conference on Science and Technology in Archaeology and Conservation. WATCH co-organised the conference in cooperation with the Legado Andalusi, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), the Department of Antiquities of Jordan, and the University of Granada. A Workshop on ‘Risk and Preparedness for CH protection in times of conflicts’ was organised by WATCH within the framework of the conference. A multidisciplinary panel at expert level joined to address the topic at the highest level.

4 December 2006, Rome (Italy) Izmir (Turkey): WATCH and its Turkish sister Association FOCUH (see: http://www.kumid.eu/en/) jointly initiated the study for a project to develop internationally shared strategy for the promotion of public awareness (targeting both military and civil society) on the needs to protect cultural heritage during times of armed conflicts. An international network set with the participation of WATCH associate members from several countries is set to implement the project. Forecast submission for financing of the project proposal due in 2008.

6-9 November 2007 in Vienna (Austria): 10th Civil Military Relations Seminar (CMRX). Cultural ‘Heritage under threat during armed conflicts. Drawing scenarios for an active civil society in times of crises’. National Military Academy.

8-10 November 2006 Vienna, (Austria): 9th International Civil-Military Relations Seminar. At the National Defence Academy. Institute for Human and Social Sciences.

11-13 July 2006, Rome, (Italy):The yearly Board of Trustees meeting took place at the Istituto del Catalogo e della Documentazione of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage in Rome. For the first time a general meeting of the eleven elected members of the BoT took place to set a long term comprehensive policy for the association.

13-14 March 2006: Cairo, (Egypt): WATCH founding members met for a two days gathering held in Cairo (Egypt) using a videoconferencing modality, under the kind hospitality of Maged Farrag. At the meeting the yearly plan of action for WATCH was discussed among other important institutional issues. Participants to this meeting were: Prof. Talal Akasheh (Jordan,), Prof. Hisham Elkadi (United Kingdom), Dr. Claudio Cimino (Italy), Saadet Güner (Turkey), Drs. Joris Kila (Netherlands), Maged Farrag (Egypt) and Prof. Giovanni Gigante (Italy).

2005 Ancona (Italy): Mediterranean Voices Exhibition about Shared Spaces in Times of Crises Exhibition as a common theme among five cities: Alexandria, Ancona, Bethlehem, Beirut and Split. Inaugural speech on: ‘The value of Cosmopolitan Cultural Heritage as a peculiar factor for the economic urban development’.

27 December 2005, Rome, (Italy): WATCH was registered on December the 27th in Rome, Italy “as a non Profit Association’. The existence of WATCH is now officially.

7-11 December 2005, Amman, (Jordan): During the Opening and Closing Sessions of the “Fourth International Conference on Science and technology in Archaeology and Conservation” held in Jordan, the foundation of WATCH was announced to the participants and its web site (http://www.eyeonculture.net) prepared by Maged Farrag (Egypt). Side meetings were held to consider the next steps needed for WATCH to meet its objectives.

June 2005, Rome, (Italy): During this meeting the concept on WATCH was exposed to a limited number of people as part of the efforts made to gain further support.

19 May 2005 - Palazzo Vecchio – Florence, (Italy): Giornata di Studi su: Tutela dei Beni Culturali comes strumento per la cultura della pace. Paper presented: “Recent calls on Governments towards the ratification of the 2nd Protocol of the Hague Convention”.

15-17 April 2005 Amman (Jordan): Workshop on Cultural Heritage Management in times of conflicts. Paper presented: ‘Assessing prevention and intervention feasibility. Three key factors in operative Cultural Heritage Management during conflict’.

2004 Amman (Jordan): EuropAid Euromed Heritage Programme II & III International Workshop on Cultural Heritage protection during times of armed conflicts / The Charter of Amman.

7-11 December 2004, Amman, (Jordan): Progress in the foundation of WATCH were announced during the Opening Session of the “Third International Conference on Science and Technology in Archaeology and Conservation” held in Jordan. The follow up committee members and new members worked at refining WATCH Statutes, its logo and the preparation of its web site. Several new members subscribed at the closing ceremony.

18-21 July 2004, Izmir, (Turkey):The follow up committee members Dr. Claudio Cimino and Prof. Hisham Elkadi were invited by Ms Saadet Guner to meet in İzmir on the occasion of the launching event of a training on the protection of cultural heritage that she organised with support from the WB programme in Turkey in cooperation with the local and regional authorities. This project represented the first concrete pilot experience in Civil Military cooperation promoted by a member of WATCH in line with the mission of the association. At the meeting the modalities to be followed for the official registration of WATCH were discussed.

7-8 April 2004, Rome, (Italy): The follow up committee members met in Rome with other cultural heritage experts to define the statutes, objectives, action plan, etc of the new organisation. The name chosen for the new NGO WATCH was confirmed by all the participants and its objectives were clearly stated. The statutes were discussed based and inspired on existing templates and finally drafted in a preliminary version. After several modifications and discussions the final version was handed for text revision and final .

7-11 December 2003, Amman, Jordan: Participants and speakers from all over the World joined in at the “Second International Conference on Science and Technology in Archeology and Conservation” expressing their deep regret for the destruction and looting of Iraqi Cultural Heritage objects and sites that took place eight months earlier. On that occasion, at a workshop entitled “Protection of Cultural Heritage during Times of Conflict”, the need for the creation of a new international voluntary entity especially dedicated to help protect cultural heritage during time of armed conflict was pointed out by participant Ms Saadet Guner (Turkey). The panel chaired by Prof. Talal Akasheh (Jordan), proposed the establishment of a follow up committee to discuss this matter and make recommendations to the Conference. The selected committee was integrated by: Prof. Talal Akasheh (Jordan,), Dr. Nasser Al Shawi (Iraq), Prof. Hisham Elkadi (United Kingdom), Dr. Lina Khamis (UNESCO - Jordan), Prof. Jan Gunneweg (Israel); Prof. Maria Luisa Vitobello van Der Shoot, (Italy); Ms Eloise Aufret (France); Ms Saskia Ooms (Belgium); Mr Nicola Erriquez (Italy); Dr. Claudio Cimino (Italy), and Ms Saadet Güner (Turkey). At the closing session participants to the conference proposed that the follow up committee worked at the establishment of an international NGO dealing with the issue at hand. As a result.

© 2007-2011 All rights reserved.