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Protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict

Under the law of armed conflict, cultural property is protected against any act of hostility (destruction, theft, requisition, confiscation, acts of reprisal, etc.). In addition, the use of cultural property in support of military action is prohibited (Article 53 of Additional Protocol I and Article 16 of Additional Protocol II). The distinctive emblem provided for in Article 6 of the Hague Convention of 14 May 1954 for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict may be displayed on cultural property.

The 1954 Hague Convention provides for an elaborate system of protection. It is supplemented by two protocols adopted in 1954 and 1999. Cultural property within the meaning of this convention is defined in its first article.
See also:

National Implementation: Protection of Cultural Property

Key document
Treaties and States party
International Review of the Red Cross
More in this section
    16-2-2004
    Cairo Declaration on the Protection of Cultural Property
    The Cairo Declaration on the Protection of Cultural Property was adopted by consensus at a regional conference convened from 14 to 16 February 2004 in order to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1954 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. This meeting was organized jointly by the Egyptian national IHL Committee, the ICRC, the Egyptian Red Crescent and UNESCO. In particular, the Declaration recommends that States should accede to the 1954 Convention and its two Protocols of 1954 and 1999 and that measures should be adopted in order to implement these instruments at national level.
    (Humanitarian law\Protected persons and property\Cultural property)

    31-12-2002
    Protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict
    This report on the proceedings of a meeting of experts held in Geneva in October 2000 is intended to identify activities that can ensure protection of cultural property at the national level, and to encourage States to ratify the relevant treaties.
    (Humanitarian law\National implementation\Publications\Other publications)
    María Teresa Dutli, Joanna Bourke Martignoni, Julie Gaudreau Includes PDF

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3-12-2008