Transcript
NARRATOR
The 1954 Hague Convention explicitly prohibits the use of cultural property for purposes which are likely to expose it to destruction or damage in the event of armed conflict and requires all States Parties to refrain from any act of hostility directed against such property.
The convention also requires States Parties to foster, within their armed forces, a spirit of respect for the cultural property of all peoples. A distinctive emblem is used as a symbol to identify and distinguish cultural property during armed conflict. In addition to this, the 1954 Hague Convention has two protocols.
The First Protocol, among other things, prevents the exportation of cultural property from an occupied territory during hostilities and requires cultural property that has been unlawfully exported to be returned to its original territory.
The Second Protocol, which was adopted in 1999, strengthens the convention and enhances the protection of cultural heritage in the following ways-- It elaborates further on certain terms such as military necessity and preparatory measures and establishes an enhanced level of protection for cultural property that is of the highest importance for humankind. The protocol also requires States Parties to criminalise the deliberate destruction of any cultural property.
Furthermore, the 1999 Second Protocol establishes a special fund for the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict. This provides emergency assistance to states in their efforts to take preparatory or emergency measures to protect their cultural property. Finally, the Second Protocol establishes a 12-member intergovernmental committee for the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict, which is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the protocol.