ICOMOS or International Council on Monuments and Sites, is a non-governmental organisation of professionals in the conservation of historical monuments and sites all over the world. The organisation was founded in 1965, following the adoption of the International Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites, better known as the Venice Charter (1964). ICOMOS constitutes a forum for professional dialogue and commits itself to promoting the theory, methodology and technology of conservation, and the protection and the enhancement of monuments and sites. ICOMOS, which has its headquarters in Paris, currently numbers over 9.000 members spread in nearly 120 National Committees and 28 International Scientific Committees. ICOMOS has formal relations with UNESCO and is also one of the advisory bodies for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention. To this end, ICOMOS advises the World Heritage Committee and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre on all technical matters relating to the Convention: doctrinal questions, properties to be inscribed on the World Heritage List, state of conservation, measures to take to ensure the protection, conservation and management of properties on the World Heritage List, capacity-building in States-Parties, etc.
The Belgian Committee of ICOMOS was established in 1965, and is a federal association which represents Belgium within the non-governmental international organisation ICOMOS. The association is composed by two non-profit organisations, a French-speaking and a Dutch-speaking, which are each affiliated to ICOMOS.