Association for Preservation Technology International and the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works

The New Orleans Charter is concerned with artifacts and collections which are housed in historic structures; it provides a framework for an integrated preservation approach and is aimed at managers and administrators. The Charter stipulates:

• the needs of both historic structures and the artifacts housed therein must be taken into consideration in any preservation effort;
• provisions for the care of both should be included in institutional mission statements;
• interdisciplinary collaboration in preservation efforts should be encouraged; and
• measures must not be taken which favor either the preservation of artifacts or the preservation of the structure at the expense of the other.

The Charter stresses the importance of documentation at all stages of the preservation effort and that any preservation strategies should be appropriate to the institutions' ability to implement and maintain them. It recommends the least amount of intervention possible.