Tuesday 30 June 2015

World Heritage Committee Adopts 'Bonn Declaration'

The 39th Session of the World Heritage Committee is under way in Bonn.  Lots of news to follow, hopefully...Yesterday saw the launch of UNESCO's Unite for Heritage Global Coalition and the Bonn Declaration.  The former is the start of a global campaign to raise awareness of, and counter, deliberate destruction of cultural heritage.  The latter reiterates states' obligations to protect their own heritage as well as working as an international community to protect World Heritage Sites that are under threat, in particular from war. 

One line also reiterates the criminal nature of the destruction perpetrated by ISIS and other groups:

"intentional attacks against buildings dedicated to religion, education, art, science or charitable purposes and historic monuments may amount to war crimes..."

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