ICOMOS GA2026 Scientific Symposium Kuching, Saraak, Malaysia 20th- 21st October 2026
ICOMOS-SDGWG Session 11 (S11): Local First Responders: Community and Indigenous Leadership in Heritage Emergency Response for the SDGs
Under the overarching GA2026 theme of “Living Heritage: Respect, Enhance, Accept, Partnership,” Session 11 places communities, Indigenous peoples, and local actors at the heart of heritage emergency response. Often the first on the scene, these groups are the primary decision-makers in crises, yet their roles are frequently overlooked by official systems.
This session, organized by the ICOMOS Sustainable Development Goals Working Group (SDGWG), explores how local knowledge and leadership make emergency response more effective, ethical, and SDG-aligned. This work directly supports the ICOMOS Triennial Scientific Plan (TSP) theme: “Disaster and Conflict Resilient Heritage – Preparedness, Response, and Recovery.”
Local First Responders: Community and Indigenous Leadership in Heritage Emergency Response for the SDGs is a key part of this year’s programme under the theme Living Heritage: Respect. Enhance. Accept. Partnership – and an important platform for advancing discussion within your specific area of expertise.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
SESSION 11 THEMATIC PANELS
We invite submissions that “Enhance” our understanding of heritage resilience through five key lenses:
- Voices from the Front Line: Documenting community-led safeguarding of tangible and intangible heritage during disasters or conflict.
- Integrating Traditional Wisdom: Examining how humanitarian actors can recognise customary practices and local risk perceptions.
- Power, Rights, and Inclusion: Addressing the marginalisation of women, youth, and minorities in emergency response (SDGs 5, 10, 11, 16).
- Protecting Living Heritage: Discussing how rituals and crafts provide psychosocial support and continuity of identity during displacement.
- From Practice to Policy: Transforming local experiences into transferable protocols for the next ICOMOS Policy Guidance for Heritage and Development Actors.
SUBMISSION OF ABSTRACTS
Deadline: 30th April 2026
Abstracts for oral presentations or posters can be submitted through the official ICOMOS GA2026 portal:
https://www.icomosga2026.org.my/en/abstract
Important: Please ensure you note “Session 11” in your submission details.
PUBLICATION OPPORTUNITIES
- Conference Proceedings: All accepted papers will be published as online proceedings by ICOMOS.
- Journal Publication: A selection of high-impact papers will be published in the OPUS (Class A journal).
- Policy Impact: Case studies will directly inform the forthcoming update of the ICOMOS Heritage and the Sustainable Development Goals: Policy Guidance.
