Address by Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO on the occasion of the opening of the General Assembly of Blue Shield International

Transcription

1 Address by Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO on the occasion of the opening of the General Assembly of Blue Shield International Vienna, Rathaus (Town Hall) 13 September 2017 Mr Vice-Mayor of the City of Vienna, Johann Gudenus, Mr Karl von Habsburg-Lothringen, Interim President of Blue Shield International, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am deeply honoured to join you today for the opening of the Blue Shield International General Assembly here in Vienna and let me express my appreciation towards the two laureates, for their commitment to heritage, they are true heritage heroes. I have a great admiration for Colonel Keba Sangare, in fact I think I met him when I visited Timbuktu, a few days after the violent extremists were pushed away, in I wish to pay a special tribute to the President Von Habsburg-Lothringen, for this invitation, and for leading Blue Shield International during this transition period. You have led an important reform effort, and strengthened this vital organisation. Thank you for your abiding commitment to protecting our cultural heritage. I wish to I thank also the Austrian authorities and the city of Vienna for hosting us. The historic centre of Vienna is rich in architectural ensembles, including Baroque castles and gardens, and it has set the tone of excellence as the beating heart of European music, from the great age of Viennese Classicism through the early part of the 20th century, something you are rightfully very proud of. DG/2017/130 Original: English

2 This bears witness to the depth of historical significance of a universal city, at the core of the European spirit and culture, and I wish to reaffirm that UNESCO stands ready to work with Austria to implement the recommendation of the World Heritage Committee, after its decision to inscribe the city on the List in Danger. It is too important for us and we stand ready to support you. On a personal note, this is the last Blue Shield International event I have the privilege to attend in my capacity of Director-General of UNESCO, and I wish to express my sincere gratitude to all of you, for the long path we have travelled together. UNESCO and Blue Shield International share a common goal. We seek to protect cultural property, and, by extension, humanity s cultural legacy. This is not a cultural issue at least not only. This is about protecting human lives, fostering societies that are more inclusive, more tolerant and, therefore, more secure, because they are better equipped with the knowledge they need about their own history, about the legacy of their ancestors, as a source of dignity, a source of confidence and stability. This is about renewing the basic tools for peacebuilding and security. Based on this approach, UNESCO and the Blue Shield have built a very special relationship. We have strengthened our alliance at a time when our mission has gained sharp new urgency. We have seen the rise of violent strategies of cultural cleansing, in which the destruction of millennial heritage is linked to the persecution of individuals on cultural grounds. The deliberate destruction of cultural heritage has become a tactic and new weapon of war, to terrorize populations and weaken communities. DG/2017/130 - Page 2

3 In response to this cultural cleansing and persecutions against humanity and its heritage, we need more than hard power. Hard power is indispensable, let s be realistic, but it is not enough to defeat a threat that thrives on poverty and is based on a distorted vision of history and exclusive visions of faith. We need new defence mechanisms. We need to equip young people with the skills and knowledge they need to respond to those who seek to spread hatred. We need to build new intellectual and moral shields against those who disseminate cultures of intolerance. In these challenging times, the partnership between UNESCO and Blue Shield has never been more important. We need to strengthen the legal basis to ensure stronger protection and fight against impunity -- and this is the purpose of UNESCO s 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. This is how I see the Blue Shield mission. And what a mission! To date, 128 States Parties have ratified the 1954 Hague Convention, with the majority also ratifying its First and Second Protocols. Thanks to our constant advocacy and work, new countries are joining in last March, I personally received the ratification of the second protocol by France, and yesterday, I received the instrument of ratification of the 1954 treaty by the United Kingdom, and I wish to congratulate Prof. Stone also for its tireless commitment at the forefront of this work. These are major breakthroughs. DG/2017/130 - Page 3

4 Now all 5 Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council are party to the 1954 Convention. This is true testament to a new global recognition of the role of cultural heritage in modern conflict. It is a clear recognition that heritage protection is more than a cultural issue it is a security imperative. I made this a priority of my mandate, and, as I am about to step down as Director- General of UNESCO, I can say I take courage from the progress we have made in this area. Together, we have built a coalition for the protection of heritage, and I once again wish to thank the Blue Shield for its support to UNESCO s #unite4heritage global movement. We created a new Emergency Fund for the protection of heritage, conducting training workshops for cultural experts, building capacity, providing expertise. We have dispatched emergency missions to Nimrud, Ashur, Palmyra, Aleppo, to assess damage, to protect objects most at risk, to fence off and guard sites. We have adopted a new strategy, supported by all 195 Member States, to strengthen our action with a clear understanding of our responsibility. We rebuilt the Mausoleums in Timbuktu, and I went there in 2015, to celebrate the rebirth of the city and I saw with my own eyes how the protection of heritage is a key driver of stability and cohesion, how it can help heal the wounds of conflicts, making societies more peaceful, and, therefore, more secure. It was as if these communities were given their identities back, and it was one of the most emotional moment of my life as Director General. Of course, this is not enough, and no one should believe the protection of heritage is enough to build lasting peace. DG/2017/130 - Page 4

5 Destruction of cultural property is a war crime, and should never go unpunished. Here also, we have made important progress, working with the International Criminal Court in the recent ruling against Ahmed Al Faqi Al Mahdi, convicted of war crimes for the destruction of the mausoleums of Timbuktu. The United Nations Security Council adopted several historic Resolutions, including resolution 2199 in 2015 to fight against illicit trafficking of cultural property as a source of financing for terrorism. In March this year, resolution 2347 recognizes, for the first time, the crucial role culture plays in sustainable strategies for building peace and security. Our role and duty is to transform this new consciousness into effective networks, into law enforcement tools and into concrete protection measures on the ground, closer to the people. We have come a long way since 1954, and yet, now more than ever, we need to strive for peace. This implies much stronger coordination amongst all actors, well beyond the culture box, and this is why I advocate so much for deeper cooperation between the military, the judicial, humanitarian and cultural experts. This is the spirit of all UNESCO s action to train military personnel, to better integrate the protection of heritage in military and peacekeeping operations: through the Military Manual published last year with the Sanremo Institute, to provide practical guide for the implementation of international law this will be soon available in Spanish and Arabic. through the French Military Handbook on the protection of Cultural Property, published in 2015 through the training of the UN Peacekeeping forces in Mali and the 8000 Passport for Heritage that were distributed to ensure the protection of DG/2017/130 - Page 5

6 heritage is not only integrated in academic courses, but in every soldier s pocket on the ground. Blue Shield International has been on the forefront of this vision, maintaining excellent working-relationships with UNESCO, the International Committee of the Red Cross and ICCROM. Together, we will produce a report on the protection of cultural property in conflict and occupation, as part of the implementation of UNESCO s Strategy for the Protection of Culture in Conflict. Our cooperation is bound to intensify, and I look very much forward to the upcoming Blue Helmet Blue Shield Forum in Tyre next year. Against blind hatred and desolation, we understand the necessity to regroup and act together according with the universal values we share peace, freedom, equal rights and human dignity. It shows that although we are appalled by the destruction of heritage, we can respond, and peace has its chance. We can choose to believe in the power of heritage. We can choose to unite for heritage, and rally behind the Blue Shield emblem as a world-recognized symbol of respect, dignity, cultural rights and human rights. This emblem is needed more than ever today, and it gives me great pleasure to stand here to raise this flag even higher, in the name of the values we share. Thank you again for your commitment. I wish you successful deliberations. DG/2017/130 - Page 6