Cultural heritage and armed conflicts

Conflicts threaten culture, and UNESCO's 1954 Hague Convention helps protect heritage, prevent conflict, and support recovery.

The 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict is the first international treaty dedicated to safeguarding cultural heritage during war. Adopted by UNESCO in response to the widespread destruction of World War II, it establishes legal protections for cultural property, including monuments, museums, and archives.

The Convention introduces measures like the Blue Shield emblem to mark protected sites and obligates nations to prevent damage, theft, and illicit trade of cultural objects. Two additional Protocols (1954 & 1999) strengthen enforcement, including rules against the seizure of cultural property and measures for post-conflict restitution.

All about the Convention

Our objectives

Preventive measures and emergency protection

Prepare inventories, plan emergency measures to protect cultural property against fire or building collapse, and organize their transfer to safe locations.

Protecting heritage in times of conflict

Ensure respect for cultural property by refraining from using it in ways that expose it to damage or targeting it during acts of war.

Identify and register

Register culturally significant property in the International Register for Special Protection, mark important buildings with the Convention’s distinctive emblem, and provide shelters for movable cultural property.

Supervise and awareness

Establish specialized units within the armed forces, set sanctions for violations of the Convention, and promote its principles to the public, cultural heritage professionals, and security forces.

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.

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UNESCO

Celebrating 70 years of the UNESCO 1954 Convention

In 2024 and until May 2025, UNESCO celebrates the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.

As a milestone year, reflections will look towards achievements in heritage preservation and best practices by its State Parties. The Convention will also address the challenges it has faced throughout its mandate, and potential pathways to address them. This anniversary will provide a unique global platform for UNESCO and its partners to enhance advocacy efforts and work towards universal ratification.

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