The Cultural Emergency Response Program (CER) provides quick action towards stabilizing or rescuing cultural heritage damaged or under imminent threat by natural disasters or conflict. In case of a cultural emergency, anyone can call on the CER team in Amsterdam for assistance.

CER implements its cultural emergency relief actions in direct cooperation with local partners in the affected communities. By responding within six months of the disaster, CER aims to prevent further damage and carry out basic repairs.

If no reliable information about the impact of the disaster or conflict is available, CER may provide a small grant to carry out a damage assessment mission aimed at mapping the damage to cultural heritage and determining priorities for quick intervention.

Contributions from CER range from supporting immediate damage assessment missions to support for basic repairs or other quick interventions required to rescue cultural heritage. Where necessary, CER also endeavors to secure additional support by approaching and engaging other partners.

Cultural Emergency Response

The Cultural Emergency response Program of the Prince Claus Fund was launched in 2003 in response  to the looting and the demolition in the National Museum in Bagdad that shocked the world.

Since then, CER has carried out more than 85 cultural emergency relief actions in over 45 countries.

Organisations as well as individuals may apply using the application form.

Procedure

• Support is primarily given to people and organisations in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. 
• CER exclusively offers “first aid” to cultural heritage that has been affected by a disaster; CER does not provide the total solution. 
• Proposals are only accepted if they refer to a man-made or natural disaster, which occurred no longer than six months ago. 
• Proposals are only accepted if they refer to either concrete emergency aid for material heritage or research missions for identifying cultural emergency relief actions.