UNESCO bolsters protection for Ukraine's cultural assets in the face of danger

Ukraine Heritage Image Credit

UNESCO has stated that it is doing all possible to protect some of Ukraine's precious heritage from destruction in the face of the Russian invasion. Emphasizing that the world community also has a duty to help protect and preserve the country's historic structures and other treasures.

UNESCO has been acting within the framework of its mandate, particularly to defend culture, since the commencement of the Ukrainian crisis. On Tuesday, the agency issued its most recent progress report.

Peace-building heritage

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said in a statement that cultural heritage "must be safeguarded as a testimony of the past, but also as a catalyst for peace and cohesion for the future, which the international community has a duty to protect and preserve," despite the fact that the most pressing priority is the protection of civilian life as the Russian advance continues.

To monitor the situation and strengthen cultural property protection, the agency maintains constant contact with all relevant institutions as well as Ukrainian cultural professionals.

Identified as a protection

Ms. Azoulay stated, "The first problem is to identify cultural heritage places and monuments, and to remind people of their special position as protected regions under international law."

The agency is in contact with Ukrainian authorities to mark cultural sites and monuments with the distinctive "Blue Shield" emblem of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, according to the press release, in order to prevent natural or anthropogenic destruction.

List of World Heritage Sites

Properties listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, such as Kyiv's Saint-Sophia Cathedral and Related Monastic Buildings and Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, are prioritized.

The marking procedure began last weekend at the Historic City Centre of L'viv, in western Ukraine, where many people have evacuated due to violence further east.

.@UNESCO is mobilized in #Ukraine to #ProtectHeritage, culture and education.

This is a wealth of creativity, innovation and a source of resilience which Ukraine shares with humanity.https://t.co/UAm9XzOaFF pic.twitter.com/QUc5mwKMfs

— UNESCO 🏛️ #Education #Sciences #Culture 🇺🇳😷 (@UNESCO) March 9, 2022

Follow international humanitarian law.

The UN cultural agency had appealed for the observance of international humanitarian law, including the 1954 Hague Convention and its two Protocols, "to guarantee the prevention of destruction to cultural heritage in all its manifestations" before the start of the conflict.

This contains the liabilities under Security Council Resolution 2222 on the protection of journalists, media professionals, and associated personnel in times of conflict, as well as the promotion of free, independent, and impartial media as one of the essential foundations of a democratic society and a tool for civilian protection.

Cultural heritage looting and destruction have been a characteristic of armed conflict for almost as long as combat itself, according to UNESCO.

Observing the damage

UNESCO is also analyzing satellite photos for priority sites that are threatened or have already been harmed, in collaboration with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, UNITAR.

"As of today, a dozen priority sites, including World Heritage Sites, are already covered by this monitoring system," said Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

Concerning the impact of the crisis on the position of artists and cultural institutions, the agency has also contacted civil society experts, "living legacy" professionals, and practitioners.

Providing support to historic custodians.

On Wednesday and Thursday, UNESCO will meet with Ukrainian cultural experts, including managers of World Heritage Sites and museum directors, to decide what technical and financial help may be provided.

UNESCO will then mobilize international partners, including UNITAR, the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), Blue Shield International, the International Council of Museums (ICOM), the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), and ALIPH, during an emergency response coordination meeting.

Original source: UN News