CULTURAL HERITAGE POLICY

Federal policy on cultural heritage is defined in programmes called "Message for the Promotion of Culture for the Period" or "Culture Message", which define the priorities and funding for a period of five years.

In particular, the focus is on:

• Financial aid for the conservation of objects to be protected and archaeological interventions;
• Expert appraisals, authorisations and advice in line with federal competence;
• Principles and standards, drawing up of recommendations and practical guides;
• Cultural outreach, knowledge and research: communication, advancement of junior academics, fostering of knowledge;
• Collaboration with cantons, organisations and other partners, strengthening of dialogue with civil society;
• International affairs, active participation in multilateral cultural cooperation;
• Support for the development of a high-quality Baukultur.

 INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK

In Switzerland, culture, including heritage, is the responsibility of the 26 cantons that are the states of the Confederation. As the cantons are sovereign in matters of culture, the field of heritage defence and monument conservation is primarily their responsibility; the Confederation intervenes mainly on a subsidiary basis. Both levels of government (Confederation and cantons) have specialist departments for the conservation of monuments, archaeology and the protection of built-up sites, as well as for the protection of nature and the landscape. In addition to this, there are a multitude of organizations with varying legal status that work to safeguard cultural property at the national level. Some of them play an important role in the administrative procedure because of the right of appeal granted to them.

At the federal level, the specialised authorities are:

• for cultural heritage, the Federal Office of Culture (OFC);
• for the protection of nature and landscape, the Federal Office for the Environment (OFEV);
• for the protection of historic trasnport routes, the Federal Roads Office (OFROU) and;
• for the protection of cultural assets on the basis of the Hague Convention, the Federal Office For Civil Protection (OFPP).

At the cantonal level, the 26 cantons each have their own specialised departments for the conservation of built cultural heritage as well as for archaeology, which fulfil their tasks in accordance with the respective cantonal legislation. Depending on the size of the canton, these services will be more or less developed depending on the size of the canton.

Federal Department of Home Affairs DFI
Federal Office of Culture OFC

• immovable cultural heritage and archaeology
• museums and collections
• illegal trafficking
• intangible heritage

Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications DETEC
Federal Office of the Environment OFEV

• nature and landscape
• regional and national parks

Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport DDPS
Federal Office for Civil Protection OFPP

• cultural assets (conflicts and natural disasters)

 LEGAL FRAMEWORK

National legislation

• the Classified compilation (CC) is a compendium of federal legislation:
• the main federal legislation on heritage and also landscape is the Federal Act of 1 July 1966 on the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage (NCHA; CC 451)

 RATIFIED INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS

Council of Europe

• Convention for the Protection of the Architectural Heritage of Europe of 3 October 1985 (Granada) - Ratified, 1995
• European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage (Revised) of 16 January 1992 (Valetta) - Ratified, 1995
• European Landscape Convention of 20 October 2000 (Florence) - Ratified, 2012

UNESCO

• Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict of 14 May 1954 and its Second Protocol of 26 March 1999 – Ratified, 1956 and 1999
• Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property of 14 November 1970 - Ratified, 2003
• Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage of 23 November 1972 - Ratified, 1975
• Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of 17 October 2003 - Ratified, 2008
• Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions of 20 October 2005 - Ratified, 2008