UNESCO CONFERENCE
“Cultural Heritage and Peace: Building on 70 years of The Hague Convention”
13-15 May 2024, THE HAGUE
NOSTOS Strategies attended the UNESCO International Conference “Cultural Heritage and Peace: Building on 70 years of The Hague Convention” in The Hague, organised by UNESCO in cooperation with the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the 1954 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, the first international legal framework entirely dedicated to the protection of movable and immovable heritage, setting a precedent for the preservation of heritage in international humanitarian law.
At the conclusion of the Conference, UNESCO announced the launch of three new initiatives to protect cultural property.
First, the creation of an international training program for judges and prosecutors in the areas of data collection, analysis and investigating the destruction of heritage. After the International Criminal Court handed down a first conviction in 2016 — awarding a symbolic one euro to the Government of Mali and UNESCO for the damage suffered by the Malian people and the international community as a whole as a result of the destruction of Timbuktu’s cultural property in 2012 — UNESCO aims to further strengthen the legal mechanisms for protecting cultural property.
Secondly, the creation of a "civil-military alliance for the protection of cultural property", whose mission will be to accelerate the creation of units specialized in heritage protection, particularly in Africa, and to link them up with heritage experts in order to share experience and best practices.
Thirdly, the training of site managers and military personnel in cutting-edge technologies that can contribute to heritage protection. UNESCO will support States Parties to the Convention in their efforts to make greater use of remote sensing by satellite imagery, artificial intelligence and the preventive digitization of cultural property.
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Plenary Session I on “Peacebuilding through cultural heritage and the importance of cultural diplomacy” provided some valuable perspectives. Below is an overview of key insights discussed.
Moderator: Krista Pikkat, Secretary of the 1954 Hague Convention & its two Protocols (1954 & 1999), UNESCO
Alexandra Xanthaki, UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights
Katariina Leinonen, Head of Division, Integrated Approach for Peace and Security, European Union
El-Boukhari Ben Essayouti, Head of Timbuktu Cultural Mission
Amra Hadzimuhamedovic, Director of the Centre for Cultural Heritage, International Forum Bosnia
Debra Kay Palmer, Director, World Heritage and Cultural Conventions at the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport of Jamaica
Omar Mohammed, Founder of Mosul Eye
The Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights highlighted the importance of considering cultural rights in situations of armed conflict. She emphasised that the right to culture pertains to human rights, not just State rights, and that for this reason, the protection of the human right to cultural heritage in addition to the protection of cultural heritage was equally crucial. These cultural rights are at stake not just at the beginning of the war, but before the war; they often serve as precursors to ethnic conflicts and contribute to the dehumanisation of individuals and groups.
The Special Rapporteur noted that international relations concerning cultural heritage and cultural rights are crucial for the well-being of individuals and groups. However, this discussion goes beyond good practices, aspirations, or ethical considerations; it involves legal obligations that States have voluntarily undertaken to respect the cultural heritage rights of everyone within their territory. When discussing the concept of cultural diplomacy, we are referring to binding international law that must be implemented, not soft law. Additionally, there is concern that cultural diplomacy sometimes lacks the necessary rigor and fails to address harsh realities. Indeed, cultural genocide is occurring in various parts of the world, including Ukraine, Gaza, and 27 other regions experiencing ethnic conflicts.
Finally, the Special Rapporteur recommended that more States ratify the 1954 Convention and its protocols, but specified that the Convention does not stand on its own; it is part of a wider system of instruments which have to be interpreted in the light of human rights obligations. States should also create space for cultural rights, educate their military, judges, politicians, and advocates, and facilitate participation of individual and groups in decisions on cultural heritage.
Ms Amra Hadžimuhamedović of the Centre for Cultural Heritage, International Forum in Bosnia highlighted that the destruction of cultural heritage serves as a tool for demoralising people who identify with the affected heritage. Experiences in Bosnia and other regions show that this destruction is also a means of dehumanising people by severing their connection to cultural heritage, which remains at risk of destruction.
The link between heritage destruction and people becomes most evident in places of suffering. Examples she noted to illustrate this connection were the Mehmed-pasha Sokolović Bridge in Višegrad, Bosnia, where over 1,000 people were tortured and killed in 1992, and the Al Sa’a Church in Mosul, which still bears marks of executions by hanging.
Ms Hadžimuhamedović emphasised that the case of Bosnia demonstrates a success story where joint cultural diplomacy efforts and the integration of cultural heritage into peace accords—recognised as one of the 11 key factors in peace-building—have turned the reconstruction process into a healing journey. This example shows that understanding and addressing community needs can transform cultural heritage from a mere object of destruction or recovery into an active agent of social processes during and after conflict. Shifting the focus from objects to people is essential for bringing the Hague Conventions to life in our time.
Ms Debra Kay Palmer of the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport of Jamaica focused on the impact of climate change and internal conflicts on Caribbean and Small Island States. She noted that the vulnerabilities of Small Island States to hurricanes, earthquakes, and the broader impacts of climate change are a reminder of the urgent need to collaborate on developing strategies, creating inventories, and digitising our collections, many of which are located along coasts. The loss of heritage due to climate change is a significant concern. For instance, in Haiti, earthquakes have increasingly threatened cultural heritage, and Jamaica therefore plans on revising its legislation, update its policies, and work with Caribbean countries to address these challenges.
Further information on the programme can be found here.