Page 14 - Abstracts of the 2nd Slovenia–Turkey Bilateral Colloquium
P. 14
Slovenia–Turkey Bilateral Colloquium · Portorož, 19 May 2023
(Dis)Respect for the International Legal
Framework Protecting Cultural
Property in Times of Armed Conflicts
Vasilka Sancin
University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
vasilka.sancin@pf.uni-lj.si
Since 24 February 2022, u n e s c o has verified damage to over 250 cul-
tural sites in Ukraine. These deplorable statistics are unfortunately not
an isolated event regarding the adverse consequence of armed conflicts
on the cultural property – too often a victim of wanton destruction and
pillage; this is so even though the incremental ideas of the inviolability of
cultural property can be detected already in the writings of the first schol-
ars of international law centuries ago, calling upon States to spare cultural
monuments in war. The first international conventions that included pro-
visions on the protection of cultural property were the Hague Conven-
tions from 1899 and 1907. Still, the widespread destruction and pillaging
of cultural heritage during both World Wars led to adoption of the Hague
Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed
Conflict in 1954 and its two protocols (1954 and 1999). Hence, 2024 will
be marking the 70th anniversary of adopting the 1954 Hague Conven-
tion and its First Protocol and the 25th anniversary of the adoption of
the Second Protocol. This contribution critically addresses the adequacy
of the existing international legal framework and its implementation in
practice, arguing for the need to ensure strengthened accountability of
responsible States and individuals, particularly for cases where the delib-
erate targeting of cultural property constitutes a war crime.
Keywords: international legal framework, protection of cultural property
in armed conflicts, 1954 Hague convention, une sc o, war crime
14
(Dis)Respect for the International Legal
Framework Protecting Cultural
Property in Times of Armed Conflicts
Vasilka Sancin
University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
vasilka.sancin@pf.uni-lj.si
Since 24 February 2022, u n e s c o has verified damage to over 250 cul-
tural sites in Ukraine. These deplorable statistics are unfortunately not
an isolated event regarding the adverse consequence of armed conflicts
on the cultural property – too often a victim of wanton destruction and
pillage; this is so even though the incremental ideas of the inviolability of
cultural property can be detected already in the writings of the first schol-
ars of international law centuries ago, calling upon States to spare cultural
monuments in war. The first international conventions that included pro-
visions on the protection of cultural property were the Hague Conven-
tions from 1899 and 1907. Still, the widespread destruction and pillaging
of cultural heritage during both World Wars led to adoption of the Hague
Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed
Conflict in 1954 and its two protocols (1954 and 1999). Hence, 2024 will
be marking the 70th anniversary of adopting the 1954 Hague Conven-
tion and its First Protocol and the 25th anniversary of the adoption of
the Second Protocol. This contribution critically addresses the adequacy
of the existing international legal framework and its implementation in
practice, arguing for the need to ensure strengthened accountability of
responsible States and individuals, particularly for cases where the delib-
erate targeting of cultural property constitutes a war crime.
Keywords: international legal framework, protection of cultural property
in armed conflicts, 1954 Hague convention, une sc o, war crime
14
