"The museum suffered severe degradations and the entire world witnessed the images of the destruction of its collections in 2015. The emotion provoked at the time must now catalyze into concrete support from the entire international community. UNESCO will soon go on site, determined to work alongside the Iraqi government and with all its partners to mobilize all efforts to safeguard and transmit this heritage. This is a key resource for cohesion, resilience and peace in Iraq. The most recent International Conference on the Protection of the Heritage in the Liberated Areas of Iraq (organized by UNESCO in Paris, 23-24 February 2017) identified priorities for action and the liberation of the museum is a call to accelerate this effort. "said the Director-General.