1954 HAGUE CONVENTION AND SECOND PROTOCOL STATES PARTIES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS FR 001595

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AORC UNESCO PREL SCUL
SUBJECT: 1954 HAGUE CONVENTION AND SECOND PROTOCOL STATES PARTIES
MEET AT UNESCO


1. SUMMARY: THE HIGH CONTRACTING PARTIES OF THE 1954 HAGUE
CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF CULTURAL PROPERTY IN THE EVENT OF
ARMED CONFLICT HELD THEIR EIGHTH MEETING IN PARIS ON NOVEMBER 23.
THE UNITED STATES, WHICH RATIFIED THE CONVENTION IN MARCH,
PARTICIPATED AS A PARTY FOR THE FIRST TIME. THIS MEETING WAS
FOLLOWED BY THE THIRD MEETING OF THE PARTIES TO THE SECOND PROTOCOL
TO THE 1954 CONVENTION. THE UNITED STATES PARTICIPATED AS AN
OBSERVER AT THAT MEETING. THE UNESCO SECRETARIAT REVIEWED THE
STATUS OF RATIFICATIONS OF BOTH TREATIES AND REPORTED ON FOLLOW-UP
ACTIONS TAKEN WITH REGARD TO PREVIOUS MEETINGS OF THE STATES
PARTIES, INCLUDING INFORMATION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 1954
HAGUE CONVENTION IN RECENT ARMED CONFLICTS. THEY ALSO DESCRIBED
ACTIONS TAKEN BY UNESCO TO DISSEMINATE INFORMATION ON THE
CONVENTIONS AND REPORTED ON THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF HOLDING
THE MEETINGS.

THE STATES PARTIES TO THE PROTOCOL ENDORSED THE GUIDELINES FOR THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SECOND PROTOCOL, ADOPTED GUIDELINES CONCERNING
THE USE OF THE FUND FOR THE PROTECTION OF CULTURAL PROPERTY IN THE
EVENT OF ARMED CONFLICT AND ELECTED SIX NEW MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE
FOR THE PROTECTION OF CULTURAL PROPERTY IN THE EVENT OF ARMED
CONFLICT. END SUMMARY.


2. THE SECRETARIAT ANNOUNCED THAT THERE ARE NOW 123 STATES PARTIES
TO THE HAGUE CONVENTION AND 55 TO THE SECOND PROTOCOL. THE FIRST
PROTOCOL HAS 100 PARTIES. SINCE THE LAST MEETING OF THE PARTIES TO
THE 1954 CONVENTION, FIVE STATES HAVE JOINED, INCLUDING BAHRAIN,
CHAD, CHILE, NEW ZEALAND AND THE UNITED STATES. THERE ARE SEVEN NEW
STATES PARTIES TO THE SECOND PROTOCOL, INCLUDING BAHRAIN, BARBADOS,
BOSNIA AND HEREGOVINA, CHILE, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, ITALY AND JORDAN.



3. THE SECRETARIAT ALSO PROVIDED INFORMATION ON COMPLIANCE WITH THE
CONVENTION AND PROTOCOLS. THEY SAID THAT NATO HAD REPORTED THAT IN
THEIR OPERATIONS, NATO MILITARY PERSONNEL ARE GUIDED BY THE RELEVANT
PRINCIPLES PROTECTING CULTURAL PROPERTY UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW AND
WHEN DRAFTING DIRECTIVES AND RULES OF ENGAGEMENT, DUE ATTENTION IS
GIVEN, WHERE APPROPRIATE, TO EXTEND PROPER PROTECTION TO CULTURAL
PROPERTY. THE SECRETARIAT ALSO SAID THAT FOLLOWING THE CONFLICT IN
AUGUST 2008, BOTH GEORGIA AND THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION REPORTED THE
DAMAGE TO OR DESTRUCTION OF SEVERAL HISTORICAL, CULTURAL AND
RELIGIOUS MONUMENTS IN THE SOUTH OSSETIA REGION. THE SECRETARIAT
REMINDED THE PARTIES OF THE OBLIGATIONS TO COMPLY WITH THE 1954
CONVENTION, THE 1954 PROTOCOL TO THE CONVENTION AND THE WORLD
HERITAGE CONVENTION. THE SECRETARIAT FURTHER NOTED THAT THE RECENT
REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT INTERNATIONAL FACT-FINDING MISSION ON THE
CONFLICT IN GEORGIA, ESTABLISHED BY THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL'S DECISION
2008/901/CFSP OF 2 DECEMBER 2008, INCLUDES SEVERAL ALLEGATIONS OF
DAMAGE CAUSED TO CULTURAL MONUMENTS, MUSEUMS OR CHURCHES DURING THE
WAR BETWEEEN GEORGIA AND THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION.


4. THE UNITED STATES DELEGATION SAID THAT RATIFICATION OF THE 1954
CONVENTION IS AN IMPORTANT SYMBOL OF U.S. COMMITMENT TO PROTECTION
OF CULTURAL PROPERTY AND DESCRIBED DEVELOPMENTS WITHIN THE U.S. TO
THIS END, THE UNITED STATES HAS ESTABLISHED ITS FIRST U.S. COMMITTEE
OF THE BLUE SHIELD (USCBS) AND JOINED OTHER NATIONS IN ESTABLISHING
THE ASSOCIATION OF NATIONAL COMMITTEES OF THE BLUE SHIELD (ANCBS).
THE USCBS HAS COMMITTED TO ASSISTING IN TRAINING DEPLOYING SOLDIERS
AND CIVIL AFFAIRS OFFICERS AND WILL WORK WITH THE ANCBS TO IDENTIFY
OTHER PLACES WHERE EXPERTS IN CIVIL SOCIETY CAN ASSIST OUR MILITARY
PERSONNEL IN PROTECTING THE MOST IMPORTANT CULTURAL HERITAGE OF
MANKIND FROM THE RAVAGES OF WAR. THE US MILITARY'S CENTRAL COMMAND
HAS ESTABLISHED A MULTINATIONAL CULTURAL PROPERTY ADVISORY TEAM FOR
THE COMMAND'S ONGOING OPERATIONS AND IS PUBLISHING MATERIALS FOR
SERVICE MEMBERS AND CIVILIAN CONTRACTORS WHICH STRESS THE IMPORTANCE
OF PROTECTING CULTURAL PROPERTY.


5. STATES PARTIES TO THE SECOND PROTOCOL ELECTED SIX NEW MEMBERS OF
THE COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE FOR DESIGNATING CULTURAL PROPERTY ELIGIBLE
FOR ENHANCED PROTECTION AND ADMINISTERING THE FUND ESTABLISHED BY
THE PROTOCOL. ITALY, ARGENTINA, AUSTRALIA, ROMANIA, AND SWITZERLAND
WERE ELECTED ON THE FIRST BALLOT. IRAN WAS CHOSEN OVER LIBYA ON THE
SECOND BALLOT FOR THE SIXTH FOUR-YEAR TERM.


6. STATES PARTIES TO THE SECOND PROTOCOL ENDORSED GUIDELINES FOR
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SECOND PROTOCOL THAT HAD BEEN DRAFTED BY
THE COMMITTEE OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, WITHOUT MODIFICATION. THE
STATES PARTIES MEETING THEN DEVELOPED AND ADOPTED GUIDELINES FOR THE
USE OF THE FUND, INCLUDING INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE COMMITTEE TO
PRIORITIZE EMERGENCY REQUIREMENTS AND TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE NEEDS OF
DEVELOPING NATIONS.


7. THE NETHERLANDS ANNOUNCED THE FIRST "SUBSTANTIAL CONTRIBUTION"
TO THE FUND ESTABLISHED FOR THE PROTECTION OF CULTURAL PROPERTY IN
ARMED CONFLICT. THE MEETING OF THE STATES PARTIES TO THE SECOND
PROTOCOL CONCLUDED WITH A RESOLUTION URGING STATES TO BEGIN
SUBMITTING NOMINATIONS FOR ENHANCED PROTECTION AND URGING THE
COMMITTEE AND THE SECRETARIAT TO IDENTIFY UNSPECIFIED "SYNERGIES"
BETWEEN OTHER UNESCO-SUPERVISED CONVENTIONS AND PROGRAMS REGARDING
CULTURAL PROPERTY. THE NEXT MEETING FOR BOTH THE HIGH CONTRACTING
PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION AND STATES PARTIES TO THE SECOND PROTOCOL
WILL BE IN 2011.

PARIS 00001595 002 OF 002



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