UK alone in Heritage Protection omission
The UK National Commission for UNESCO is extremely saddened and concerned that the anticipated Heritage Protection Bill has been omitted from today’s Queen’s Speech.
The Bill’s omission from the Queen’s speech means that the UK will be the only international power, and the only major combatant in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, not to have legislation under discussion to enable it to sign and ratify the 1954 (Hague) UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its two Protocols of 1954 and 1999. The United States has legislation before Senate that will enable it to sign and ratify the Convention in the near future.
“The loss of this anticipated Bill is very worrying. That we appear to have lost enhanced recognition and protection for World Heritage sites in the UK is deeply frustrating; that we have lost the legislation concerning protection of cultural heritage in times of armed conflict will reflect very badly on the UK’s standing internationally. We are soon to be the only international power not to have ratified the 1954 Hague Convention. This cannot be right and I have written to the Minister today asking for a meeting to try to remedy this situation”.
Professor Alec Boksenberg, Chair of the UK National Commission
Peter Stone, Professor of Heritage Studies at Newcastle University and the advisor to the UK military in the immediate build-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq and a member of the UK National Commission’s Culture Committee commented “This is most depressing news – especially as concerns were raised over the amalgamation of the two draft Bills in the summer. We must find a way to ratify Hague as soon as possible. To be one of the only major countries not to have ratified is really impossible. UK forces continue to be deployed overseas and our failure to ratify the Hague Convention is a significant issue”.
Written: 03/12/2008 , last modified: 03/12/2008
