Implementation of the 1954 Hague Convention and its two (1954 and 1999) Protocols: Achievements and challenges

Abstract

The Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, widely known as the 1954 Hague Convention, and its two (1954 and 1999) Protocols, are the first and the most comprehensive international treaties on the protection of cultural property in the course of armed conflicts. These treaties aim to preserve immovable and movable cultural property, including monuments of architecture, art or history, archaeological sites, works of art, manuscripts, books and other objects of artistic, historical or archaeological interest, as well as scientific collections of all kinds regardless of their origin or ownership.

This presentation will aim to provide an overview of the main tenets of the 1954 Hague Convention and its two (1954 and 1999) Protocols and will elaborate on challenges and achievements of these instruments. The presentation will also outline UNESCO’s global programme aiming to improve the protection of cultural property through the wide ratification and effective implementation of the 1954 Convention and its Protocols.

Biography

Tural Mustafayev is an Associate Programme Specialist at the Culture and Emergencies entity of the UNESCO’s Culture Sector in Paris. He specializes in cultural property protection legislation in the context of armed conflicts and assists the Secretary of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its two Protocols since 2014. Previously, he held a position of the Director of Research and Education Department of the NATO International School of Azerbaijan and worked at the Department of International Law and Treaties of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Azerbaijan).