World Heritage Committee condemns war destruction of cultural sites

A CMAC officer clears unexploded ordnance at Preah Vihear Temple. CMAC

Synopsis: Global delegates at the UNESCO session in Busan call for the protection of cultural landmarks, strict accountability under international law, and advanced preservation technologies.

The 48th session of the World Heritage Committee, held from July 26 to 29 in Busan, South Korea, unanimously condemned the destruction of cultural sites during armed conflicts, according to the Cambodian People’s Party.

At the invitation of UNESCO, Cambodian People’s Party Central Committee member and International Conference of Political Parties in Asia and Asian Cultural Council delegation head Suos Yara led the Cambodian representatives to the gathering.

At least 162 member states, along with international organisations, partners and observer institutions, attended the session.

In a statement released on July 29, the delegation said the assembly unanimously condemned the destruction of World Heritage properties during armed conflicts under a resolution adopted on July 28.

The statement added that the resolution cited the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, the 1970 Paris Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Cultural Property, and United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2199 (2015), 2253 (2015) and 2347 (2017).

The committee also called on states involved in armed conflicts to protect heritage locations and refrain from using them for military purposes, according to the statement.

Speaking on behalf of UNESCO partner institutions, the Cambodian delegation said the destruction of World Heritage properties in the Asia-Pacific region required accountability and condemnation under international law.

The delegation also noted the importance of connecting civilisations and World Heritage sites through ancient sister-city networks to promote peace and conflict resolution. Furthermore, it encouraged the use of artificial intelligence to support the protection and conservation of cultural heritage.

The Thai delegation requested an immediate response, and the session chairman allowed its representative one minute to speak, according to the statement.

-Khmer Times-