Québec Declaration on the Preservation of the Spirit of Place

Declaration of the 16th General Assembly of ICOMOS held in Quebec (Canada) on September 29–October 4, 2008, aimed at preserving the spirit of place by safeguarding both the world’s tangible and intangible heritages, considered to be an effective way of ensuring worldwide sustainable development. This statement is part of a series of measures and actions carried out by ICOMOS over the past five years aimed at safeguarding and promoting the spirit of place, defined as a mix of tangible (buildings, sites, landscapes, routes, objects) and intangible elements (memories, stories, written documents, rituals, festivals, traditional knowledge, values, etc..). The principles and recommendations of the Declaration target intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, local and national authorities and all institutions able to contribute to improving the protection and promotion of the spirit of place with policies, standards, planning and management processes.