UNESCO Civil-Military Alliance for the Protection of Cultural Property
The UNESCO Civil-Military Alliance for the Protection of Cultural Property is a pioneering initiative dedicated to enhancing respect for and protection of movable and immovable cultural property. It promotes effective cooperation between civil and military stakeholders during peacetime, armed conflict, occupation, and post-conflict recovery.
The Alliance was launched in May 2024 on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, during the UNESCO International Conference "Cultural Heritage and Peace - Building on 70 Years of The Hague Convention", held in The Hague, the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Under the 1954 Hague Convention and its two Protocols (1954 and 1999), UNESCO supports States Parties in preparing for the protection of cultural property both in peacetime and in the event of armed conflict by working with civil and military stakeholders.
To this end, Article 7 of the 1954 Hague Convention provides a legal basis for the establishment of services or specialized personnel within the armed forces to ensure respect for cultural property and to cooperate with civilian authorities responsible for its safeguarding.
In addition, Article 30 of the 1999 Second Protocol assigns a specific role to UNESCO, stipulating that Parties to the Protocol, in cooperation with UNESCO and relevant governmental and non-governmental organizations, develop and implement training and educational programmes for military and civilian authorities.
Our priorities
How to get involved
The UNESCO Civil-Military Alliance for the Protection of Cultural Property is an open and voluntary body of cultural and military professionals designated by States Parties to the 1954 Hague Convention, UNESCO Member States, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations with a demonstrated interest in civil-military cooperation for the protection of cultural property, and invited international experts specialised in the field.
Participants in the first UNESCO Civil-Military Alliance Forum for the Protection of Cultural Property, to take place on 16 May 2025 at UNESCO Headquarters, will be considered the focal points of the Alliance and will be added to the mailing list of the Secretariat of the 1954 Convention and its two Protocols to receive information on its future activities.
