Abu Dhabi: Organisations, countries and established networks across the Middle East must work together to protect cultural heritage during armed conflicts, a leading member of the International Centre for the Study of Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) said.
Speaking at the ‘Safeguarding Endangered Cultural Heritage’ conference held in the capital last week, Zaki Aslan, director of ICCROM-ATHAR Regional Conservation Centre in Sharjah, said the preservation of heritage sites requires a multi-stakeholder approach.
“It is almost preposterous to think that any single agency might have all the solutions to existing problems related to preserving cultural heritage during times of conflict. This is why the overall approach has to be multi-sectoral and people-centred.”
“We should not limit ourselves to institutional mechanisms but also foster links with established networks and communities in order to engage them in transition and peace building through cultural heritage protection and recovery,” said Aslan.
The two-day conference was an initiative by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and French President Francois Hollande.
It was held under the patronage of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), and brought together international experts and representatives of the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) and other organisations. During the event, speakers discussed ways to prevent the destruction of cultural heritage sites, fight the trafficking of looted artefacts, and fund restoration projects for damaged sites. They also looked at ways to establish a network of safe havens to store endangered artefacts from conflict zones temporarily.
