Destruction of Cultural Heritage should not be left out of Iraq Inquiry
A group of leading cultural heritage organisations have called on the Committee of Inquiry into Iraq to include problems faced by British forces in safeguarding cultural heritage in Iraq in their investigation.
In a letter to Sir John Chilcot, chair of the Inquiry, the UK National Commission for UNESCO, the British Academy, the British Institute for the Study of Iraq, the Council for British Archaeology, the European Association of Archaeologists, the Institute for Archaeology, International Council of Museums UK, the Museums Association, the Society of Antiquaries of London and the UK & Ireland Committee of the Blue Shield urge the Commission to investigate these matters.
The signatories of the letter have expressed their concern over the damage and loss inflicted on the National Museum of Iraq in Baghdad and other museums, libraries and archives, the looting of archaeological sites, and the damage to historic monuments that took place during the war and subsequent occupation.
The signatories encourage the Inquiry to look at the extent of provision of generic and theatre-specific cultural property awareness training for UK armed forces. Such training will help ensure UK forces are better prepared to identify and protect cultural property.
The signatories further raise the pressing issue that the UK has not yet ratified the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its two Protocols of 1954 and 1999. The UK is the only major international power, and the only major combatant in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, not to have relevant legislation under discussion. The US ratified the Convention earlier this year.
The Inquiry is an excellent opportunity to examine problems faced by British forces in safeguarding cultural heritage in Iraq. The UK urgently needs to ratify the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict to ensure the armed forces receive appropriate cultural property awareness training in preparation for any future deployments.”
Professor Alec Boksenberg, Chair of the UK National Commission
Sir Adam Roberts, President of the British Academy said: “The Iraq Inquiry must not neglect the damage, destruction and Iooting of Iraq’s archaeological sites and ancient artefacts. In this, as in other matters, it will need to look at the adequacy of plans made in the run-up to the war, the particular problems faced by UK forces in their areas of responsibility in the occupation and post-occupation phases, and the extent to which the UK acted in accord with its existing legal obligations. Fifty-four years after the UK signed the text of the Hague Cultural Property Convention, it is time that we took the key step of ratifying it, as the United States finally did earlier this year.”
Visit the Iraq Inquiry website for furhter information.
Written: 05/08/2009 , last modified: 05/08/2009
