The Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (Hague Convention) of 14th May 1954 with its two Additional Protocols (1954 and 1999) is an international agreement on the protection and preservation of cultural property in the event of armed conflict.
It was created against the background of the destruction caused by the Second World War and was adopted by the UNESCO General Conference in 1954. It was the first international legal framework devoted entirely to the protection of movable and immovable cultural heritage, and set a precedent for heritage protection in International Humanitarian Law. The Republic of Austria ratified the Hague Convention in 1964 (Federal Law Gazette No. 58/1964).
The object of protection is cultural property within the meaning of Art. 1 of the Convention: Movable or immovable property of great importance to the cultural heritage of every people.
The Convention prohibits the destruction, theft and looting of cultural property in time of war or armed conflict. Protection consists of preventive measures in peacetime and respect for one's own and other people's cultural property in the event of conflict.
Culture is essential in shaping human identity and a source of building community resilience in times of need. International instruments such as the Hague Convention are instrumental in fostering respect, diversity and peace, which are essential pillars for the preservation and promotion of culture.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Hague Convention. UNESCO and its partners are taking this opportunity to strengthen advocacy efforts and work towards universal ratification through numerous events and campaigns.
Since 2016, the Center for Cultural Property Protection has hosted a lecture series called Spotlight Cultural Property Protection (Kulturgüterschutz konkret in German).
The 2024 series is dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the 1954 Hague Convention, including the topic of humanitarian and disaster response with relevance to cultural heritage protection.
On four evenings in 2024, two speakers and a chair each will discuss:
- The 1954 Hague Convention and prior attempts to protect cultural heritage in conflict.
- Training and education regarding cultural heritage protection, with a focus on exercises and the establishment of a national system for cultural heritage protection in emergency situations.
- Armed conflict and monitoring measures for the protection of cultural heritage, looking at current events in Ukraine as case studies.
- Humanitarian and disaster response for cultural heritage protection, focusing on earthquake situations and cultural heritage protection responses.
Spotlight Cultural Property Protection 2024 is held under the patronage of the Austrian Commission for UNESCO and in cooperation with the speaker’s institutions.
Participation and registration
The lectures will be hosted via Zoom and will start at 1900 CET.
They are scheduled to last approximately 1.5 hours each, in English language.
These events are open to the public and we look forward to welcome you.
Participation is free of charge, please register to attend. You will receive your login details after registration via the corresponding event link.
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