The Venice Charter of 1964, in only sixteen articles, adopts general principles for preservation and restoration, but preamble also proposes a framework for future international cooperation. On one hand, given unity of human values, monuments are considered as with a responsibility to safeguard them for future generations and to hand them on in full richness for their authenticity. On other hand, the principles guiding preservation and restoration of ancient buildings should be agreed and be laid down on an international basis, with each country being responsible for implementing them within framework of its own culture and traditions. The preamble prepares ground for World Heritage Convention of 1972, and to numerous international and national documents, including Nara Document on Authenticity of 1994.International debates have led to deepening and expanding notion of far beyond monuments of Venice Charter. The concept of preservation has also received a new definition. Today, World Heritage Committee of UNESCO considers heritage as a social ensemble of many different, complex, and interdependent manifestations, reflecting culture of a human community. Preservation represents an insistence on harmony, over time, between a social group and its environment, whether natural or man-made, while protection of this lifestyle is perceived as a major aspect of sustainable human development. The questions progressed from How to preserve? to Why? and then whom to preserve?This evolution is result of adoption of charters and conventions, which in turn have given an impetus to further intellectual developments. However, in course of last few years, there has been a considerable increase in such documents, and there are now dozens of them, developing into hundreds of published pages. In fact, to a large extent, it is because of extension of concept of heritage that new texts have been elaborated. What sometimes appears to be a proliferation is also a reflection of new more complex and varied realities.The option chosen by ICOM (the International Council on Museums) to keep one 'Code of Ethics, with periodic but infrequent revisions, is appropriate for museum management. In its field, ICOMOS has decided not to update 1964 Venice Charter, considered as an founding document, and has opted instead to adopt complementary charters dealing with specific types of heritage and new themes. This approach has led to drawing up of new texts of unequal value, superimposed over already existing ones, which intensifies impression of proliferation.These norms, which are intended to be universal in scope, make it possible to advance from at least three points of view: in practice, in doctrine, and in dialogue between cultures. Today, however, questions are being raised as to reality of these contributions. There is a growing unease over these charters and conventions, relevance and authority of which are being sometimes contested.In many cases, these norms are not respected, either through ignorance or even out of a deliberate choice. Diverging interpretations can also be observed, with professionals opting for contradictory interventions in name of same principles. For instance, different ways anastylosis is realized illustrate various, even opposite interpretations, from strict assembly of original parts, to extended addition of new elements. When extra work is indispensable, very different approaches are adopted, as in distinction from architectural composition and in interpretation of contemporary stamp recommended by Venice Charter.In terms of doctrine, many people criticize these charters and conventions for seeking a common denominator and for being too general in most cases. Their proliferation appears to undermine their credibility. …