Monaco and the ALIPH Foundation renew their commitment to safeguarding endangered cultural heritage
On 19 February 2026, Ms Isabelle Berro-Amadeï, Minister of State Counsellor for External Relations and Cooperation, and Mr Valéry Freland, Executive Director of the ALIPH Foundation, signed an agreement renewing for a further two years the partnership between the Principality of Monaco and the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage (ALIPH).
Founded in Geneva in March 2017, the ALIPH Foundation is dedicated to the protection of sites, museums and their collections, monuments and intangible heritage in conflict, post-conflict or crisis zones. Worldwide, the foundation funds preventive actions, emergency interventions and rehabilitation projects, drawing on internationally recognised expertise.
Unique at a global level, ALIPH is currently the only international fund exclusively devoted to the protection of endangered heritage, and since its creation it has supported nearly 600 projects in 64 countries.
The cooperation between the Princely Government and ALIPH, launched in 2020, has continued to grow stronger. Several ALIPH-supported projects, implemented by international or local operators, have benefited from financial support from the Principality of Monaco. These include, in particular:
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the rehabilitation of the Raqqa Museum in Syria;
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the securing of collections from two museums in Odessa, Ukraine;
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the conservation of two historic sites in Lebanon;
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and more recently, in 2024, the documentation of several heritage sites in Armenia.
This fourth partnership agreement, covering the 2026–2027 period, focuses on two key projects in Syria, a country engaged in a phase of reconstruction and stabilisation after many years of conflict.
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The first project centres on the renowned archaeological site of Palmyre, with the aim of contributing to the restoration of the museum’s collections.
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The second project involves the restoration of the “House of Wisdom” in Alep, a 19th-century convent severely damaged and at risk of collapse, with the goal of transforming it into a social and medical complex serving local communities.
Through this renewed joint commitment, Monaco and the ALIPH Foundation reaffirm their active role in defending global cultural heritage, viewed not only as a legacy of the past, but also as a vital tool for reconstruction, dialogue and resilience for populations affected by conflict.
