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Chairperson's Statement on behalf of the Committee

The Chairperson of the Committee of the Second Protocol to the Hague Convention of 1954 for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, acting in accordance with Decision 9.COM 3, adopted by the Committee at its 9th Meeting, issued the following Statement on behalf of the Committee:

 

                                                    STATEMENT

 

      The Committee of the Second Protocol to the Hague Convention of 1954 for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict,

 

      Expressing its grave concern at the repeated deliberate barbaric attacks against cultural property throughout the world, in particular in Iraq and Syria,

 

      Expressing its deep outrage at the recent acts of destruction of cultural property, including targeted destruction and looting of religious sites and objects, committed in particular by ISIL in Mosul, Nimrud and Hatra in Iraq (destructive attack on the Museum, Libraries and Universities of Mosul, deliberate destruction of the archaeological site of Nimrud, destruction of the ancient city of Hatra),

 

     Recalling Resolution 2199 (2015) of the United Nations Security Council, in particular, its operative paragraphs 15-17, 

 

     Recalling the 2003 UNESCO Declaration concerning the Intentional Destruction of Cultural Heritage adopted through 32 C/Resolution 33 of the General Conference of UNESCO,

 

     Referring to the consecutive Statements made by the UNESCO Director General, Mrs Irina Bokova, condemning the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage in Iraq and Syria,

 

      Emphasizing that the destruction of Iraq’s rich and diverse cultural heritage is intolerable and must stop immediately,

 

       Stressing that the systematic destruction of humanity’s cultural heritage can never be justified,

 

       Strongly condemns the systematic destruction of cultural heritage in Iraq and Syria in particular by  ISIL,  that may be qualified as a war crime and, in particular, the recent acts of the destruction of  Iraq’s cultural heritage, including religious sites and objects,       

       

       Calls upon the Syrian Arab Republic and Iraq to ratify the Second Protocol to the Hague Convention at the earliest opportunity and submit their requests to the Committee for granting enhanced protection to cultural property, on an emergency basis.

 

     Urges States and the international community to undertake a common effort to counter the destruction and looting of museums, libraries, archaeological sites and other cultural property in Iraq and Syria which are part of the cultural heritage of mankind,

 

       Declares its readiness to assist the UNESCO Director General in all her efforts to confront this unprecedented situation and coordinate international  efforts aiming at protecting the cultural heritage of Iraq and Syria.

                                                                                                                               

                                                    Artemis Papathanassiou

              Chairperson of the Committee of the Second Protocol to the Hague Convention of 1954 for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict

                                              

 

 

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