John the Teologist’s Chapel in Kenozero National Park, Arkhangelsk County, Russia. Photo: Dag Myklebust, The Directorate for Cultural Heritage.

Environmental
Preservation of the cultural heritage of mankind is one of the aims stipulated in the strategy of the Directorate for Cultural Heritage. We collaborate with both neighbouring and other countries in Europe, as well as countries in other parts of the world. The main goal is to protect the cultural heritage against destruction and to secure a sustainable development of our common cultural resources. (See left menu for specific information on various international projects).
Strategy for the International Activities of Directorate for Cultural Heritage »
Brochure: Directorate for Cultural Heritage. An International Perspective »cooperation
The Directorate for Cultural Heritage answers to the Ministry of the Environment. We participate in environmental and cultural cooperation projects with institutions in developing countries, in EU member states and Russia, and the Council of Europe.
Guide to Norwegian Environmental Competence »

The Directorate is responsible for the implementation of the the UNESCO 1972 World Heritage Convention in Norway and is actively supporting the UNESCO Global Strategy.

Collaboration with neighbouring countries
The Nordic dimension is handled through the Nordic Council of Ministers, and by continuous technical cooperation between the Nordic cultural heritage institutions. The Directorate for Cultural Heritage is a member of the Monitoring Group for the Nordic cooperation with the Baltic states, which coordinates a number of building restoration and other conservation projects. The long-standing cross-border and people-to-people collaboration between Norway and Russia is implemented under the Joint Norwegian-Russian Commission on Environment.

EU – EEA (European Economic Area)
To promote joint project cooperation the Directorate for Cultural Heritage provide information about EU programmes and the relevant EEA/Norwegian financial mechanisms. We also take part in cross-border framework programmes linked to the management of cultural heritage. An important aspect of this is to secure a legal framework favourable to cultural heritage.

International development cooperation
The Directorate for Cultural Heritage plays a vital role in the following-up of Norwegian government policies and strategies, such as the Action Plan for Combating Poverty in the South towards 2015, the Strategy for Environment in Development Cooperation, the Strategy for Culture and Sports cooperation with countries in the South, and the UN Millenium Goals. We serve as a centre of competence on cultural heritage issues for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Norwegian Agency for Development (Norad).