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This article presents the preliminary findings of a scoping study that Geneva Call is conducting to understand the existing dynamics between armed non-state actors (ANSAs) and cultural heritage. Geneva Call is a Swiss-based non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting the respect of international humanitarian law by ANSAs. The study centres on three case studies—Syria, Iraq, and Mali—on which information has been obtained through desk and field research, interviews with ANSAs operating in those countries, and with leading organizations committed to the protection of cultural heritage, globally or regionally. The article first maps the various attitudes of ANSAs toward cultural heritage, highlighting both positive and negative examples from current practices. Then it analyzes the response of specialized organizations to the impact of ANSAs on cultural heritage and their level of engagement with these actors on cultural heritage issues. Finally, the conclusion offers some tentative recommendations to enhance the respect of cultural heritage by ANSAs in non-international armed conflicts.

This Note considers the Conclusions on EU Approach to Cultural Heritage in Conflicts and Crises, which were adopted by the Council of the European Union on 21 June 2021. It starts by analysing the shift in the way cultural heritage has been perceived since the introduction of cultural heritage within the EU’s external relations’ strategy. It then considers how the role of cultural heritage as a vector of peace and development could be strengthened and consolidated through a better articulation of its linkages with climate change.

This volume offers a critical inquiry into the ever-evolving notion of cultural heritage and the way it has been made accessible, governed, and protected by the institutional, operational, and legal structures of the European Union.

On 9 June 2017, the Centre for Heritage at the University of Kent held a one day conference at the Canterbury Cathedral Lodge as part of its project on “Canterbury and the Via Francigena: Promoting Heritage through Cultural Routes”. The project seeks to engage the public with heritage through various events, such as this conference but also through workshops and volunteering opportunities.

This article considers whether there are any gaps within the legal framework protecting cultural heritage from attacks conducted by non-state armed groups. It first looks at the existing obligations of states vis-à-vis non-state armed groups with regard to the protection of such heritage, in particular their obligations stemming from the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. It also examines the obligations of non-state armed groups with regard to cultural heritage, clarifying their obligations under international humanitarian law, including customary international norms, and other sources of international law. Finally, this article discusses accountability mechanisms, in particular with the application of international criminal law to prosecute the members of non-state armed groups who have conducted attacks against cultural property.

Diego Marani talks to Kristin Hausler

The series of attacks against cultural heritage by extremist groups over the past decade have led to many initiatives aimed at strengthening the protection of cultural heritage in situations of conflict. Many of these initiatives adopted an interdisciplinary approach, including lawyers, policymakers, and heritage professionals. However, a number of gaps remains, not only during an armed conflict but also in the pre- and post-conflict stages.