The Cultural Heritage Administration has concluded an arrangement with ICCROM, the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property, on cooperation for strengthening capacity in conservation of cultural heritage in the Asia Pacific region. The arrangement was signed by Administrator Kim Chan of the CHA and Stefano de Caro, Director-General, of ICCROM in Rome, Italy last Friday. ICCROM is an advisory body to UNESCO established in 1959, whose membership amounts to 132 states. It carries out a wide range of education, training and research activities for preservation of cultural properties throughout the world. The arrangement, that follows last year’s election of Director Kim Yong-han of Cultural Heritage Conservation Science Centre as a council member of the international body, is expected to push ahead with bilateral cooperation between the two sides for upcoming years. Based on the agreement, a CHA-ICCROM fund-in-trust is to be established. Considering that a program tailored for enhancing conservation capability for cultural heritage in Asia (CollAsia) terminated last year, the CHA-ICCROM arrangement seems to serve as a pivotal framework to proceed with future regional projects. The ongoing ACPCS program annually run by the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage for Asian conservationists is expected to generate synergy effect being in compatible with ICCROM’s new program for the region.