UNESCO and ICRC partner on the protection of culture heritage in the event of armed conflict
29.02.2016 –
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Peter Maurer, signed a partnership agreement paving the way for the two organizations to undertake joint projects to enhance the protection of cultural heritage in the event of armed conflict.

“As the impartial, neutral and independent keeper of international humanitarian law, the International Committee of the Red Cross is a key partner for UNESCO in emergency situations during which it is of utmost importance to protect cultural heritage as the bearer of peoples’ identity, dignity and resilience”, said Ms Bokova. “This partnership is another testimony to the growing global awareness that protecting cultural heritage is not just a cultural emergency but indeed a humanitarian imperative”.

…The recent large-scale and systematic destruction and looting of cultural heritage sites have highlighted the strong connection between the cultural and humanitarian dimensions of cultural heritage protection. Attacks against cultural heritage and diversity are also attacks against people, their rights, and their security. Under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage is a war crime. In the face of these unprecedented challenges, there is a need for innovative approaches to build on the existing international legal standards – notably the 1954 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, so as to enhance their effective implementation.