GA 3. Haganum Model United Nations Gymnasium Haganum, The Hague Research Reports PROTECTING CULTURAL HERITAGE IN TIMES OF WAR

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1 Haganum Model United Nations th of March 6th of March 2016 Haganum Model United Nations Gymnasium Haganum, The Hague Research Reports GA 3 PROTECTING CULTURAL HERITAGE IN TIMES OF WAR 4 th, 5 th and 6 th of March 2016

2 Forum: General Assembly 3 Issue: Protecting Cultural Heritage in Times of War Student Officer: Neil Plummer Position: Deputy Chair Introduction Temple of Baalshamin in Palmyra being blown up by ISIL in July or August The No one has the right to destroy another s cultural heritage. Cultural heritage is an essential thing for a culture or a country as it gives them an identity. If famous and/or important buildings, landscapes or artifacts are damaged or destroyed, the history it holds is lost and can never be recovered. Due to this the culture or country in question will suffer greatly and may resent the person or people who damaged the important feature indefinitely. 2 Research Reports

3 This could lead to conflicts and even bloodier wars. Which is why it is incredibly important to protect these valuable and irreplaceable things. However some countries or parties have previously taken advantage of a country s time of temporary weakness and destroyed an important part of its history, such as the partial destruction of the Summer Palace close to Beijing, China by French and British forces during the 1860 s (it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998 to protect it from anymore potential threats). Another example is the siege of Dubrovnik in 1991, where Croatian Separatists defended the historic city from Yugoslavian forces. Dubrovnik is famous for having recorded the Mediterranean sea since the 13th century and for keeping the records in a library. The city was however bombed by the Yugoslavs and damaged 56% of the buildings in the city. Definition of Key Terms Cultural Heritage Cultural Heritage can be placed into three categories: Built Environment, Natural Environment and Artifacts. Built Environment include things like buildings, towns, cities and ruins. They are man-made structures. Natural environment include things like landscapes, coasts, rivers and agricultural heritage, these are natural geographic features. Artifacts include things like books, documents, pictures and paintings, these are man-made objects. All of these things are linked to an area s history which gives the area a certain identity. Some famous examples include the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France and the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Pisa, Italy. Historical Importance 3 Research Reports

4 Something that has a strong historical background and that is important for the local area/people or the whole nation. Objects that have a strong historical importance are often objects that are cultural heritages. They are important because they have affected historic events or history itself. These objects need to be protected during times of war as they are crucial to the area s history. A graph showing the understanding of cultural heritage and its cycle Background Information Cultural heritage has existed for as long as humans have been recording historical events and as men have been constructing now famous buildings. Thanks to that cultures 4 Research Reports

5 and people have been able to identify themselves with these famous buildings and protect them. Throughout history however, rulers and armies have looted places of cultural heritage for their own personal gain. This happened a lot and now most confiscated items have either been returned to the original country or been placed in museums where they are protected from war. Some may not be in their country of origin, but it is assured that they will not be harmed by war. These museums are very useful for the protection of those precious and irreplaceable artifacts. A lot of work has been done by conservationist group, governments and UNESCO to protect the sites of cultural heritage, but conserving heritages is a harder task than people may think it is.. If a site of cultural heritage is a popular tourist destination (e.g. the palace and parks of Versailles, France) it is much harder for it to be protected, as protecting it may damage a country s economy. Major Countries and Organizations Involved Technically all countries are involved as they all want to protect their cultural heritage at all costs. Some countries however might decide to damage their cultural heritage (buildings or landscapes) during times of war. Overall 34 countries have suffered damage to their cultural heritage. ISIL (Islamic State in the Levant): ISIL has gotten a name for themselves as one of the most brutal and destructive terrorist organisation that has ever existed. Recently ISIL decided to destroy World Heritage Sites and other historic sites in Iraq and Syria, due to their extreme following of Salafism (a sect of Islam that places great importance on monotheism and on eliminating polytheism). They have destroyed many places of worship, (from both the Islam and Christianity) some of 5 Research Reports

6 which have survived for over 1,300 years and even lived through the Mongol invasion. A photograph of ISIL militants destroying a museum in Mosul, Iraq. They are pushing over a 3,000 year old sculpture dating back to the Assyrian Empire. UNESCO ( The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) This United Nations funded organisation has created World Heritage Sites that are identified as site that have a special cultural or physical significance. Since the creation of World Heritage Sites, 190 countries ( not including Liechtenstein, Nauru, Somalia, South Sudan, Timor-Leste and Tuvalu) have accepted the program, and 163 countries have World Heritage Sites in their territory. The country with the most sites being Italy with 51 World Heritage sites. It is UNESCO s goal to preserve and protect every single one of these sites. All 981 of the sites are prohibited from being damaged or used during times of war according 6 Research Reports

7 to the Laws of War and the The Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. Sadly 43 of them are currently under threat of destruction. U.K. (United Kingdom) In October 2006, a British governmental department called the Department of Culture Media and Sport passed a document called the "Understanding the Future: Priorities for England's Museums". This document protects and conserve artifacts in public museums and aims to educate new generations of the importance of the artifacts. None of the U.K. s cultural heritage has ever been destroyed during war. Some of them have however been torn down for infrastructural reasons. Timeline of Events Date November August 12, 1949 May 14, 1954 November 16, 1972 December 14, 1975 Description of event Creation of the The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation Signing of the most recent Laws of War in the Geneva Conventions prohibiting the attack on any ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) personnel Signing of the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict The "Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage" was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO The "Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage" becomes enforced and has been ratified and signed by 191 countries. 7 Research Reports

8 October 1, May onwards Siege of Dubrovnik where the city faced terrible damage of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The terrorist group ISIL have been destroying buildings of important cultural heritage in Iraq, Syria and Libya. These are often places of worship for religions or sects that they do not accept. Relevant Treaties and Events The Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, 14th of May 1954 The Laws of War (ICRC), 12th of August 1949 The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, 14th of December 1975 Previous Attempts to solve the Issue There have been a few attempts to solve this important problem such as the latest Laws of War signed in the Geneva convention in These laws are meant to define what any two or more parties in a war are and are not allowed to do. Rules are all focused on protecting cultural buildings and heritage. Rule 39 states The use of property of great importance to the cultural heritage of every people for purposes which are likely to expose it to destruction or damage is prohibited unless imperatively required by military necessity. This is essential as a country or a party in a war has very limited choices to what they can do for their cultural location. There is also the The Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. This is a resolution made by UNESCO that is centered on the 8 Research Reports

9 protection of cultural heritage, especially in times of war. When it was passed in 1954, 49 countries signed it. As of February 2014, it has been ratified and signed by 127 countries and only signed by 4 other countries. These documents however did not work as well as some had hoped, Some countries damaged protected sites and some of them were demolished by terrorists. Possible Solutions Some solutions include proposing tougher sanctions (these could be economically, militarily, etc.) on any country or organisation that damages or destroys a World Heritage Site or a place of important cultural heritage.. If the country or organisation denies any involvement with the damage or destruction of the place, the sanctions could be higher. Another solution could be creating a UN funded army that protects any important site in an area of war or political instability that has the sole purpose of protecting the site. This army could have the ability to attack any side of the war without facing any consequences. This army could be mobilised to an area of rising tension to protect the building of cultural heritage. This would be so the building would be protected if war does break out. For a case where war has already broken out, the army could enforce a temporary ceasefire so it could get to the area. If this ceasefire is not acknowledged then the army could either attack them or embargoes would be placed on the side. Of course there are many other solutions that could include setting up a no go area around the site during times of war to ensure its safety. Bibliography Research Reports

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