Deputy Executive Director & Scientific Director
ALIPH - International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas
In Septembre 2018, France Desmarais was named Deputy Executive Director and Scientific Director of the newly created International alliance for the protection of heritage in conflict areas (ALIPH). In her new role, France develops and manages the institution's means of action for the implementation of preventive and emergency protection programs for cultural property in danger of destruction due to conflict. As the author of a report for UNESCO's 1954 Convention on the protection of cultural heritage in conflict and occupation, France is a recognised expert of cultural property protection. She is also a member of the Advisory Group of the British Council’s Cultural Protection Fund.
Prior to joining ALIPH, she acted as ICOM's Director of Programmes and Partnerships, developing the institution’s work in favour of the protection of cultural heritage in danger, most notably leading ICOM’s global fight against illicit traffic in cultural goods, which includes the well-known Red Lists of Cultural Objects at Risk and creating the Internatioanl Observatory on Illicit Traffic in Cultural Goods. She was an active board member and representative of the International Committee of the Blue Shield and of the Disaster Risk Management Committee of ICOM. France also directly contributed to drafting the 2015 UNESCO 'Recommendation for the Protection and Promotion of Museums and Collections, their Diversity and Role in Society'.
She has lived and worked in Central Africa, in the Middle East, lecturing at Lebanese University, as well as in Canada where she was Head of Strategic Initiatives at the McCord Museum.
Tuesday, May 21
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM