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The United Arab Emirates today hosted a meeting of the UN Security Council’s Arria Program with France, Italy and Cyprus to discuss the protection of cultural heritage during armed conflict.
The UAE’s convening of the meeting is in line with its long-standing belief in the importance of cultural heritage, both as a reflection of a nation’s identity and history, and as an effective means of spreading the values ​​of tolerance, coexistence and common humanity among peoples and nations.
The UAE statement was issued by Ambassador Mohammad Abuhaha, the Deputy Permanent Representative of the UAE to the United Nations.
Ambassador Abushahab emphasized that “the destruction, distortion or looting of cultural heritage in situations of armed conflict has serious repercussions and threatens the building and maintenance of peace. This is why the Security Council adopted historic Resolution 2347, Cultural heritage and, in this regard, attempts to deny historical roots and cultural diversity can fuel and exacerbate conflict and hinder national reconciliation.”
He added, “Resolution 2347 also recognizes that, in certain circumstances, unlawful attacks on cultural heritage sites may constitute war crimes, which require the protection of cultural heritage in order to maintain international peace and security.”
In recent years, the UAE has sponsored several programs to preserve cultural heritage. In 2016, the UAE partnered with France to host an international conference on the protection of cultural heritage at risk. The meeting adopted the Abu Dhabi Declaration, in which 40 countries and international organizations pledged to support safe havens for cultural heritage threatened during conflict.
The UAE launched the Alliance for International Heritage Preservation in Conflict Areas (ALIPH) in 2017, and to date, the alliance has supported initiatives in more than 30 countries to safeguard cultural heritage worth US$50 million.
The UAE has launched the “Revitalize Mosul” project in cooperation with UNESCO and the European Union to rebuild the ancient historic city.
Participants in the Arria Formula meeting reviewed progress in the implementation of Resolution 2347, including developments in the nature of armed conflicts and escalating conflicts around the world. These conflicts require a constant assessment of ways to protect cultural heritage, its importance in building peaceful societies, and preventing its use by terrorist groups as a tool to finance or spread intolerance and hatred. Participants also focused on restoring and rebuilding cultural heritage as part of peacebuilding and maintaining peace and engaging local communities by raising awareness of their importance and role in maintaining peace and security.
The UAE reaffirms the responsibility of the international community to prevent the misuse of cultural heritage, especially by terrorism and armed groups, and welcomes increased opportunities to exchange views to prevent any misuse of this heritage.
During the Arria programme, the Council was briefed by Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO; General Vincenzo Molinese, Commander of the Gendarmerie for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage; Omar Al-Taweel, UNESCO Field Coordinator for the Spirit of Mosul initiative.
Director-General Azoulay said in his speech that the protection of cultural heritage should be an important aspect of peacekeeping operations, emphasized UNESCO’s efforts to protect cultural heritage in Ukraine, Yemen and Iraq, and suggested establishing a mechanism for regular reporting to the Council. General Molinese highlighted the Carabinieri’s efforts through cultural diplomacy to recover illegally exported artefacts, saying culture has a global public good.
Additionally, Al-Taweel provides insight into the history of Mosul. He described Daesh’s attacks on the city between 2014 and 2017, which included the destruction of the Al-Nabi Yunus mosque/shrine. He noted that heritage reconstruction, including the “Renew the Spirit of Mosul” initiative, is a key tool for empowering residents to become agents of change and participants in rebuilding the city through culture and education, while also developing young people skills, providing international experience in the field.
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