«...attacks on cultural property, to whatever people it may belong, constitute attacks on the cultural heritage of all mankind, given that each people makes its contribution to world culture. »
Launched in December 2020 by the Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict to the Second Protocol of 1999 at its 15th meeting (C54/20/15.COM/5 Report, Decision 15 COM 5, UNESCO 2020), the aim of the "Heritage for Peace" Thematic Programme is to contribute, on a global scale, to the effective protection of movable and immovable cultural property in all its forms during peacetime, armed conflict and in post-conflict situations.
Objective
Covering one of the three dimensions of sustainable development to be achieved by 2030, aimed at fostering peace and safety and contributing to Sustainable Development Goals 11 (Target 11.4) and 16 (Target 16.a), the "Heritage for Peace" Thematic Programme aims to provide practical responses to the needs of States Parties to the 1954 Hague Convention and its two Protocols (1954 and 1999) to sustainably protect cultural heritage in the event of armed conflict.
The Programme's Strategic Axes
To contribute to defending lasting peace by protecting our heritage in order to pass it on to future generations.
Based on a strong desire to strengthen collaborations between all UNESCO's cultural Conventions and programmes, this new Thematic Programme is in line with UNESCO's work to protect cultural property in the event of armed conflict, and provides an operational framework for the holistic implementation of the Strategy for strengthening such actions, the Action Plan to strengthen the implementation of the 1954 Hague Convention and its two Protocols, the Intersectoral and Interdisciplinary Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence, the Action Plan for a Culture of Peace in Africa, the UNESCO Initiative on Heritage of Religious Interest, and the United Nations Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures.
