ICOM-CC said: 'ICOM-CC urges the so-called Coalition Forces to act according to The Hague Convention'. This is just a rhetorical question: Neither the USA nor the UK have ratified the 1954 Hague Convention. Why then would they act according to it? Sophia. >From: Jorgen Wadum <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: International Council of Museums Discussion List ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: ICOM-CC appalled by looting in Iraq. >Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2003 14:44:53 +0200 > >ICOM-CC appalled by looting in Iraq. > >The International Council of Museums - Committee for Conservation (ICOM-CC) >is witnessing the looting and damage of cultural property in the aftermath >of war in Iraq with the utmost concern. > >When ICOM-CC (Feb 25, 2003) and shortly after the International Committee >of the Blue Shield (ICBS) as well as other international organisations >warned about the consequences of war, we stressed our concern for "... the >prospects of possible damage to our shared cultural heritage and loss of >human life as a result of armed conflicts." > >ICOM-CC, with many other international organisations, must now again stress >how significant and crucial The Hague Convention is to all regimes. It is >imperative that all parties in Iraq realise their responsibilities towards >cultural property. > >In the "Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of >Armed Conflict", drawn up in The Hague, 14 May 1954, and entered in force 7 >August 1956, Paragraph I. "General provisions regarding protection", >Article 4. "Respect for cultural property" section 3 reads: > >"The High Contracting Parties further undertake to prohibit, prevent and, >if necessary, put a stop to any form of theft, pillage or misappropriation >of, and any acts of vandalism directed against, cultural property. They >shall refrain from requisitioning movable cultural property situated in the >territory of another High Contracting Party." > >ICOM-CC will hold all so-called Coalition Force Partners accountable for >the looting and damage to cultural property in Iraq. > >Further paragraph X, "Protocol for the Protection of Cultural Property in >the Event of Armed Conflict", article 1, reads: "The High Contracting >Parties are agreed as follows: 1. Each High Contracting Party undertakes to >prevent the exportation, from a territory occupied by it during an armed >conflict, of cultural property as defined in Article 1 of the Convention >for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, >signed at The Hague on 14 May, 1954." > >Article 3 expands on this role by saying: "Each High Contracting Party >undertakes to return, at the close of hostilities, to the competent >authorities of the territory previously occupied, cultural property which >is in its territory, if such property has been exported in contravention of >the principle laid down in the first paragraph. Such property shall never >be retained as war reparations." > >ICOM-CC urges the so-called Coalition Forces to act according to The Hague >Convention. There simply is no excusable exception for not following these >universal rules of civilised conduct. > >ICOM-CC hopes that inventories of the holdings of looted Iraq museums as >soon as possible can be distributed to Interpol and also widely (via >e-lists) to the entire museum world in order to identify these stolen >antiquities in the market for their restitution or seizure. > >On behalf of ICOM - Committee for Conservation (ICOM-CC), > >Jørgen Wadum >Chair ICOM-CC > >ICOM-CC is the largest of the international committees under the >International Council of Museums (ICOM) with members' world-wide from every >branch of the museum and conservation profession. >ICOM is a non-governmental organisation maintaining formal relations with >UNESCO and having a consultative status with the United Nations' Economic >and Social Council. >ICOM-CC Secretariat, 13, via San Michele , 00153 Rome, ITALY ; Tel.: + 39 >06 58 55 34 10 ; Fax: + 39 06 58 55 33 49 ; E-mail: [log in to unmask] > >- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > >Change ICOM-L subscription options, unsubscribe, and search the >archives at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/icom-l.html _________________________________________________________________ Use MSN Messenger to send music and pics to your friends http://www.msn.co.uk/messenger - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Change ICOM-L subscription options, unsubscribe, and search the archives at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/icom-l.html