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In international law, this term covers, irrespective of origin or ownership, movable or

immovable property [1] constituting the cultural heritage of all mankind, to which each
people makes its contribution. In view of the importance of cultural property to all peoples
of the world, international law has attempted to ensure its protection in case of armed
conflict [2].
Protected cultural property comprises: historic monuments, works of art, buildings and
places of worship, archaeological sites, museums and depositories, libraries, archives,
scientific collections, etc.
These must be respected and safeguarded against the foreseeable effects of an armed
conflict [2]. They must not be used for purposes which are likely to expose them to
destruction [3] or damage or be the objects of hostility or pillage [4], theft, misappropriation
or vandalism. Protection extends to the transportation of movable cultural property.
Protection may be standard or special, depending on the importance of the property.
Reprisals [5] against cultural property are prohibited. Cultural property must be marked with
a special distinctive emblem.
General protection:

Special protection:
 OUTLINE
Chapter 9, b. aa)Cultural objects [6]

LEGAL SOURCE
HR, 27 [7]

PI, 52-53 [8]

PII, 16 [9]

CIHL, 38 [10]

CIHL, 39 [11]

CIHL, 40 [12]

DOCUMENT
Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property [13]

Hague Protocol for the Protection of Cultural Property [14]

Second Hague Protocol for the Protection of Cultural Property [15]

France, Accession to Protocol I (para 13) [16]

CASES
Israel, Taking Shelter in Ancient Ruins [17]

Israel/Lebanon/Hezbollah, Conflict in 2006 [18] (Part I, paras 188-192 [19])

Iran/Iraq, UN SC Assessing Violations of IHL (A. Annex, para 50) [20]

US/UK, Report on the Conduct of the Persian Gulf War [21]

ICTY, The Prosecutor v. Strugar (B. paras 229-233 and 298-329) [22]

Afganistan, Destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas [23]

Georgia/Russia, Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Conflict

in South Ossetia (Paras 52-55) [24]

Cambodia/Thailand, Border Conflict around the Temple of Preah Vihear [25]

Mali, Destruction of World Cultural Heritage [26]

Mali, Accountability for the Destruction of Cultural Heritage [27]

Syria, Destruction of Cultural Heritage [28]

Eastern Ukraine, Attacks Against and Military Use of Schools [29]

Central African Republic, No Class: When Armed Groups Use Schools [30]

BIBLIOGRAPHIC RESOURCES
Suggested readings:

DESCH Thomas, “The Second Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention for the
Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict”, in YIHL, Vol. 2,
1999, pp. 63-90.

EUSTATHIADES Constantin, “La protection des biens culturels en cas de

conflit armé et la Convention de la Haye du 14 mai 1954”, in Études de Droit
International, Athens, Klissiounis, Vol. 3, 1959, pp. 395-524.

HENCKAERTS Jean-Marie, “New Rules for the Protection of Cultural Property

in Armed Conflict: The Significance of the Second Protocol to the 1954 Hague
Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed
Conflict”, in Humanitäres Völkerrecht, Vol. 12/3, 1999, pp. 147-154.

HLADIK Jan, “Protection of Cultural Property: the Legal Aspects”, in JACQUES

Richard B. (ed.), “Issues in International Law and Military Operations”, in
International Law Studies
, Vol. 80, 2006, pp. 319-331.

KONOPKA Jean A. (ed.), La protection des biens culturels en temps de guerre

et de paix d’après les conventions internationales (multilatérales), Geneva,
Imprimerie de Versoix, 1997, 163 pp.

O’KEEFE Roger, The Protection of Cultural Property in Armed Conflict,

Cambridge, CUP, 2006, 404 pp.

STAVRAKI Emmanuelle, La Convention pour la protection des biens culturels

en cas de conflit armé, Athens, Editions Ant. N. Sakkoulas, 1996, 306 pp.

TANJA Gerard J., “Recent Developments Concerning the Law for the Protection
of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict”, in LeidenJournal of
International Law, 1994, pp. 115-125.

TECHERA Erika J., “Protection of Cultural Heritage in Times of Armed Conflict:

the International Legal Framework Revisited”, in Macquarie Journal of
International and Comparative Environmental Law, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2007, pp. 1-20.

TOMAN Jiri, The Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict,
Aldershot/Paris, Dartmouth Publishing Company/ UNESCO Publishing, 1996,
525 pp.

“Special issue: Protection of cultural property in armed conflict”, in IRRC, No.

854, June 2004, pp. 311-481.

VAN WOUDENBERG Nout & LIJNZAAD Liesbeth (eds), Protecting Cultural

Property in Armed Conflict: an Insight into the 1999 Second Protocol to the
Hague Convention of 1954 for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of
Armed Conflict
 , Leiden, Boston, M. Nijhoff, 2010, 243 pp.

Further readings:

ABTAHI Hirad, “Le patrimoine culturel iraquien à l’épreuve de l’intervention

militaire du printemps 2003”, in Actualité et Droit International, May 2003, 13
pp., online: http://www.ridi.org/adi [31].

ABTAHI Hirad, “The Protection of Cultural Property in Times of Armed Conflict:

The Practice of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia”, in
Harvard Human Rights Journal, Vol. 14, 2001, pp. 1-2.

CARDUCCI Guido, “L’obligation de restitution des biens culturels et des objets

d’art en cas de conflit armé : droit coutumier et droit conventionnel avant et
après la Convention de La Haye de 1954. L’importance du facteur temporel
dans les rapports entre les traités et la coutume”, in RGDIP, Vol. 104/2, 2000,
pp. 289-357.

DRIVER Mark C., “The Protection of Cultural Property During Wartime”, in

Review of European Community & International Environmental Law, Vol. 9/1,
2000, pp. 1-12.

Source URL: https://casebook.icrc.org/glossary/cultural-property

Links
[1] https://casebook.icrc.org/glossary/property
[2] https://casebook.icrc.org/glossary/armed-conflict
[3] https://casebook.icrc.org/glossary/destruction
[4] https://casebook.icrc.org/glossary/pillage
[5] https://casebook.icrc.org/glossary/reprisals
[6] https://casebook.icrc.org/law/conduct-hostilities#ii_9_b_aa
[7]
https://www.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=openDocument&documentId=3C43C56CFC87D4E3C12563CD0
[8]
https://www.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=openDocument&documentId=F08A9BC78AE360B3C12563CD0
[9]
https://www.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=openDocument&documentId=23F37F921C55419EC12563CD00
[10] https://www.icrc.org/customary-ihl/eng/docs/v1_rul_rule38
[11] https://www.icrc.org/customary-ihl/eng/docs/v1_rul_rule39
[12] https://www.icrc.org/customary-ihl/eng/docs/v1_rul_rule40
[13]
https://www.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Treaty.xsp?documentId=2A07EB0EAA5CECACC12563CD002D6BC8&action=op
[14]
https://www.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Treaty.xsp?documentId=79B801B4D23AEA95C12563CD002D6BE3&action=open
[15]
https://www.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Treaty.xsp?documentId=F0628265ED4F2118412567BB003E0B0C&action=openDo
[16] https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/france-accession-protocol-i#para13
[17] https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/israel-taking-shelter-ancient-ruins
[18] https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/israellebanonhezbollah-conflict-2006
[19] https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/israellebanonhezbollah-conflict-2006#part_i_para_188
[20] https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/iraniraq-un-security-council-assessing-violations-international-
humanitarian-law#part_a_para_50
[21] https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/united-statesunited-kingdom-report-conduct-persian-gulf-war
[22] https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/icty-prosecutor-v-strugar#part_b_para_229
[23] https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/afghanistan-destruction-bamiyan-buddhas
[24] https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/georgiarussia-independent-international-fact-finding-mission-conflict-
south-ossetia#para_52
[25] https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/cambodiathailand-border-conflict-around-temple-preah-vihear
[26] https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/mali-destruction-world-cultural-heritage
[27] https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/mali-accountability-destruction-cultural-heritage
[28] https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/syria-destruction-cultural-heritage
[29] https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/eastern-ukraine-attacks-against-and-military-use-schools
[30] https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/central-african-republic-no-class-when-armed-groups-use-schools
[31] http://www.ridi.org/adi