One of the core functions of the Secretariat is raising awareness about the 1954 Convention and its two Protocols. UNESCO recognizes the importance of increasing public knowledge about international law, in order to strengthen the presence and effectiveness of international treaties. Public support for international causes is a means to garner the support of governmental and non-governmental organizations alike, and facilitates the processes of ratification and implementation of treaties around the world.

In this regard, UNESCO has launched the worldwide movement #Unite4Heritage to celebrate and safeguard cultural heritage and diversity around the world.

The Secretariat implements several projects every year, which are purposed specifically for reaching a wide public audience and enhancing awareness of the 1954 Convention and its two Protocols. In recent years this has included the publication of various information brochures and texts:

• The Secretariat has published an Information Kit, accessible in several different languages, which provides information about the Convention and its Protocols.
• In 2016 UNESCO, with the assistance of several international experts, published the Military Manual on the Protection of Cultural Property, which explains the rules outlined in the Convention and Protocols and offers advice on how these rules can be followed.