But what is “enhanced protection” and what can the UN agency do to help in times of war? To help answer these questions, UN News spoke with Krista Pikkat, Director of the UNESCO Entity for Culture and Emergencies.
Threatened living heritage
UNESCO has repeatedly warned about the impact of hostilities on the region’s rich and diverse cultural heritage. Since the outbreak of war, UNESCO has received reports of damage to more than 20 different cultural sites, including World Heritage sites and others of national importance.
“We verify the reports we receive from different sources, either through satellite images by analyzing before and after images, or through on-site inspections,” Ms Pikkat explained.
UNESCO has confirmed damage to five cultural assets in the region, including a synagogue, the Golestan Palace, the Sa’dabad the palace and the former Senat palace, all in Iran, along with Tire in Lebanon, where UNESCO has confirmed damage. “What is threatened is the living heritage of communities,” Ms. Pikkat stressed.
What is “enhanced protection”?
Lebanon has 39 sites on UNESCO’s “enhanced protection” list, the most of any country.
“Enhanced protection is the highest level of international legal protection that exists” under the Second Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention, Ms. Pikkat explained. “It is granted to sites that are of greatest importance to humanity and provides them with the highest level of immunity from military attack.”
Any State or party that does not comply with the Convention could be guilty of a war crime.
In Lebanon, UNESCO works closely with the authorities, especially the General Directorate of Antiquities, providing technical advice and support for the emergency protection of cultural heritage. This includes training, emergency inventories, safeguarding measures, rehabilitation of storage sites, movable heritage evacuation guidelines and marking of protected sites with the Blue Shield emblem to ensure their protection.
More than stones and mortar
Especially during conflicts, UNESCO calls for moderation and protection of educational, cultural, media and scientific institutions, as they form the basis of future societies.
The UN agency insists that in times of war, culture and heritage define people’s identity, providing comfort and support to communities.
When these fundamental pillars of society are attacked, their destruction deepens trauma, fuels resentment and hinders recovery and dialogue, says UNESCO.
“We should not consider culture only as something fragile that needs protection,” insists Ms. Pikkat. “Culture is also a source of resilience. It is also an economic asset for recovery and peacebuilding..”