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DE RUEHFR #1595/01 3341235
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 301235Z NOV 09
FM USMISSION UNESCO PARIS FR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC
INFO RUCNSCO/UNESCO COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS FR 001595 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: AORC UNESCO PREL SCUL
SUBJECT:  1954 HAGUE CONVENTION AND SECOND PROTOCOL STATES PARTIES 
MEET AT UNESCO 
 
¶1. SUMMARY:  THE HIGH CONTRACTING PARTIES OF THE 1954 HAGUE 
CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF CULTURAL PROPERTY IN THE EVENT OF 
ARMED CONFLICT HELD THEIR EIGHTH MEETING IN PARIS ON NOVEMBER 23. 
THE UNITED STATES, WHICH RATIFIED THE CONVENTION IN MARCH, 
PARTICIPATED AS A PARTY FOR THE FIRST TIME. THIS MEETING WAS 
FOLLOWED BY THE THIRD MEETING OF THE PARTIES TO THE SECOND PROTOCOL 
TO THE 1954 CONVENTION.  THE UNITED STATES PARTICIPATED AS AN 
OBSERVER AT THAT MEETING.  THE UNESCO SECRETARIAT REVIEWED THE 
STATUS OF RATIFICATIONS OF BOTH TREATIES AND REPORTED ON FOLLOW-UP 
ACTIONS TAKEN WITH REGARD TO PREVIOUS MEETINGS OF THE STATES 
PARTIES, INCLUDING INFORMATION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 1954 
HAGUE CONVENTION IN RECENT ARMED CONFLICTS.  THEY ALSO DESCRIBED 
ACTIONS TAKEN BY UNESCO TO DISSEMINATE INFORMATION ON THE 
CONVENTIONS AND REPORTED ON THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF HOLDING 
THE MEETINGS. 
 
THE STATES PARTIES TO THE PROTOCOL ENDORSED THE GUIDELINES FOR THE 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SECOND PROTOCOL, ADOPTED GUIDELINES CONCERNING 
THE USE OF THE FUND FOR THE PROTECTION OF CULTURAL PROPERTY IN THE 
EVENT OF ARMED CONFLICT AND ELECTED SIX NEW MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE 
FOR THE PROTECTION OF CULTURAL PROPERTY IN THE EVENT OF ARMED 
CONFLICT. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. THE SECRETARIAT ANNOUNCED THAT THERE ARE NOW 123 STATES PARTIES 
TO THE HAGUE CONVENTION AND 55 TO THE SECOND PROTOCOL.  THE FIRST 
PROTOCOL HAS 100 PARTIES.  SINCE THE LAST MEETING OF THE PARTIES TO 
THE 1954 CONVENTION, FIVE STATES HAVE JOINED, INCLUDING BAHRAIN, 
CHAD, CHILE, NEW ZEALAND AND THE UNITED STATES.  THERE ARE SEVEN NEW 
STATES PARTIES TO THE SECOND PROTOCOL, INCLUDING BAHRAIN, BARBADOS, 
BOSNIA AND HEREGOVINA, CHILE, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, ITALY AND JORDAN. 
 
 
¶3. THE SECRETARIAT ALSO PROVIDED INFORMATION ON COMPLIANCE WITH THE 
CONVENTION AND PROTOCOLS.  THEY SAID THAT NATO HAD REPORTED THAT IN 
THEIR OPERATIONS, NATO MILITARY PERSONNEL ARE GUIDED BY THE RELEVANT 
PRINCIPLES PROTECTING CULTURAL PROPERTY UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW AND 
WHEN DRAFTING DIRECTIVES AND RULES OF ENGAGEMENT, DUE ATTENTION IS 
GIVEN, WHERE APPROPRIATE, TO EXTEND PROPER PROTECTION TO CULTURAL 
PROPERTY.  THE SECRETARIAT ALSO SAID THAT FOLLOWING THE CONFLICT IN 
AUGUST 2008, BOTH GEORGIA AND THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION REPORTED THE 
DAMAGE TO OR DESTRUCTION OF SEVERAL HISTORICAL, CULTURAL AND 
RELIGIOUS MONUMENTS IN THE SOUTH OSSETIA REGION.  THE SECRETARIAT 
REMINDED THE PARTIES OF THE OBLIGATIONS TO COMPLY WITH THE 1954 
CONVENTION, THE 1954 PROTOCOL TO THE CONVENTION AND THE WORLD 
HERITAGE CONVENTION. THE SECRETARIAT FURTHER NOTED THAT THE RECENT 
REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT INTERNATIONAL FACT-FINDING MISSION ON THE 
CONFLICT IN GEORGIA, ESTABLISHED BY THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL'S DECISION 
2008/901/CFSP OF 2 DECEMBER 2008, INCLUDES SEVERAL ALLEGATIONS OF 
DAMAGE CAUSED TO CULTURAL MONUMENTS, MUSEUMS OR CHURCHES DURING THE 
WAR BETWEEEN GEORGIA AND THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION. 
 
¶4. THE UNITED STATES DELEGATION SAID THAT RATIFICATION OF THE 1954 
CONVENTION IS AN IMPORTANT SYMBOL OF U.S. COMMITMENT TO PROTECTION 
OF CULTURAL PROPERTY AND DESCRIBED DEVELOPMENTS WITHIN THE U.S. TO 
THIS END, THE UNITED STATES HAS ESTABLISHED ITS FIRST U.S. COMMITTEE 
OF THE BLUE SHIELD (USCBS) AND JOINED OTHER NATIONS IN ESTABLISHING 
THE ASSOCIATION OF NATIONAL COMMITTEES OF THE BLUE SHIELD (ANCBS). 
THE USCBS HAS COMMITTED TO ASSISTING IN TRAINING DEPLOYING SOLDIERS 
AND CIVIL AFFAIRS OFFICERS AND WILL WORK WITH THE ANCBS TO IDENTIFY 
OTHER PLACES WHERE EXPERTS IN CIVIL SOCIETY CAN ASSIST OUR MILITARY 
PERSONNEL IN PROTECTING THE MOST IMPORTANT CULTURAL HERITAGE OF 
MANKIND FROM THE RAVAGES OF WAR.  THE US MILITARY'S CENTRAL COMMAND 
HAS ESTABLISHED A MULTINATIONAL CULTURAL PROPERTY ADVISORY TEAM FOR 
THE COMMAND'S ONGOING OPERATIONS AND IS PUBLISHING MATERIALS FOR 
SERVICE MEMBERS AND CIVILIAN CONTRACTORS WHICH STRESS THE IMPORTANCE 
OF PROTECTING CULTURAL PROPERTY. 
 
¶5.  STATES PARTIES TO THE SECOND PROTOCOL ELECTED SIX NEW MEMBERS OF 
THE COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE FOR DESIGNATING CULTURAL PROPERTY ELIGIBLE 
FOR ENHANCED PROTECTION AND ADMINISTERING THE FUND ESTABLISHED BY 
THE PROTOCOL.  ITALY, ARGENTINA, AUSTRALIA, ROMANIA, AND SWITZERLAND 
WERE ELECTED ON THE FIRST BALLOT.  IRAN WAS CHOSEN OVER LIBYA ON THE 
SECOND BALLOT FOR THE SIXTH FOUR-YEAR TERM. 
 
¶6.  STATES PARTIES TO THE SECOND PROTOCOL ENDORSED GUIDELINES FOR 
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SECOND PROTOCOL THAT HAD BEEN DRAFTED BY 
THE COMMITTEE OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, WITHOUT MODIFICATION.  THE 
STATES PARTIES MEETING THEN DEVELOPED AND ADOPTED GUIDELINES FOR THE 
USE OF THE FUND, INCLUDING INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE COMMITTEE TO 
PRIORITIZE EMERGENCY REQUIREMENTS AND TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE NEEDS OF 
DEVELOPING NATIONS. 
 
¶7.  THE NETHERLANDS ANNOUNCED THE FIRST "SUBSTANTIAL CONTRIBUTION" 
TO THE FUND ESTABLISHED FOR THE PROTECTION OF CULTURAL PROPERTY IN 
ARMED CONFLICT.  THE MEETING OF THE STATES PARTIES TO THE SECOND 
PROTOCOL CONCLUDED WITH A RESOLUTION URGING STATES TO BEGIN 
SUBMITTING NOMINATIONS FOR ENHANCED PROTECTION AND URGING THE 
COMMITTEE AND THE SECRETARIAT TO IDENTIFY UNSPECIFIED "SYNERGIES" 
BETWEEN OTHER UNESCO-SUPERVISED CONVENTIONS AND PROGRAMS REGARDING 
CULTURAL PROPERTY.  THE NEXT MEETING FOR BOTH THE HIGH CONTRACTING 
PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION AND STATES PARTIES TO THE SECOND PROTOCOL 
WILL BE IN 2011. 
 
PARIS 00001595  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
KILLION