To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, the international conference “Cultural Heritage and Security” will gather policy makers and cultural heritage specialists.
UNESCO Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict aims at strengthening peace, promoting cultural diversity and respect between countries. This 1954 Hague Convention is the first international legal document fully dealing with the protection of tangible and intangible heritage. The Convention and its two Protocols lay down the principles and prescribe the action for the protection of heritage in the event of hostilities.
Latvian and foreign policy makers and culture and heritage specialists will meet to raise and strengthen their understanding of the value of cultural heritage for the society and to promote the cooperation of culture and defence sectors in saving and preserving cultural values in times of crisis. Experts from the United Nations, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia, France, Canada, the Netherlands, and Ukraine, including the Secretary of the 1954 Hague Convention and its two Protocols (1954 and 1999), Krista Pikkat, will discuss topics, like the importance of heritage protection in maintaining peace, monitoring of heritage objects, protection of heritage, and local communities.
The conference will conclude with a discussion between the representatives of the Defence, Interior and Corruption Prevention Committee of the Parliament, the Education, Culture and Science Committee of the Parliament, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Defence, who will look at the Latvian situation in the field of cultural heritage and its protection.
The Conference is organised by UNESCO Latvian National Commission, the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Defence in cooperation with ICOMOS Latvia, French Institute in Latvia, Embassy of Canada to Latvia, and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Latvia. The Conference will take place at the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia.
This Conference will be one of the events held in Latvia during the UNESCO Week 2024 “Culture is Safety”, and will be broadcast live.
About UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, abbreviated as UNESCO, is a specialised United Nations agency gathering 193 countries for co-operation in the fields of education, science, culture, communication and information to promote peace, public welfare and sustainable development. Latvia joined UNESCO in 1991, and the UNESCO Latvian National Commission has been ensuring implementation of the UNESCO programmes in Latvia and representing the Latvian interests and experience in the UNESCO fields of action since 1994. Find out more on www.unesco.lv and Facebook.com/UNESCOLNK.
Prepared by:
Kitija Balcare, Communication Consultant for the UNESCO Latvian National Commission
Telephone +371 29683396
E-mail: k.balcare@gmail.com