Join us for EMBCA’s “Protection of World Heritage Sites/Cultural Property in Armed Conflict Zones” Webinar Panel Discussion on Sunday, April 27, 2025, at 2 P.M. EST / 9 P.M. Athens/Beirut EEST. The event will be introduced by EMBCA President Lou Katsos and co-moderated with author and EMBCA Director Joanne Keratsou Sayad. The distinguished panel includes Dima Rifai Chargee de Mission at UNESCO; Dr. Brian I. Daniels the Director of Research and Programs for the Penn Cultural Heritage Center at the University of Pennsylvania Museum; Georges S. Zouain, PhD Head of Faculty at GAIA-heritage; and Dr. Nadine Panayot, Associate Professor and Curator of the American University of Beirut’s Archaeological Museum.

Armed conflict has long threatened not only human life but also the cultural and historical heritage of civilizations. Temples, manuscripts, shrines, and ancient cities have often been looted or destroyed—not as collateral damage, but as calculated attempts to erase identities and demoralize populations. From the burning of the Library of Alexandria to the destruction of Palmyra by ISIS, such acts represent an assault on human memory and dignity. Protecting cultural property in war zones is therefore a moral imperative and a matter of international peace and identity.

Cultural heritage embodies the spirit, history, and identity of a people. Sites like the Acropolis, the Pyramids, Timbuktu’s manuscripts, and Aleppo’s old city are not only of local importance—they are part of humanity’s shared legacy. UNESCO World Heritage Sites hold universal value, and their destruction affects us all.

The 1954 Hague Convention and its 1999 Second Protocol remain the cornerstone of international efforts to protect cultural property in conflicts. These laws prohibit targeting cultural sites and impose obligations on warring parties. Additional frameworks—like the 1972 UNESCO World Heritage Convention and the Geneva Conventions—reinforce these protections. However, enforcement is weak, especially with non-state actors or in failed states.

Cultural attacks are often strategic. In Bosnia, the shelling of Mostar Bridge targeted a symbol of coexistence. ISIS destroyed Palmyra and Mosul’s libraries to erase pre-Islamic culture. In 1974, during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, religious and cultural sites in the occupied north—including Orthodox churches and ancient artifacts—were looted, defaced, or destroyed. This was part of a broader effort to erase Greek Cypriot heritage and alter the island’s cultural landscape.

Defending cultural heritage in war is not optional—it is essential. These treasures are the embodiment of who we are, and when they’re lost, we lose part of ourselves. A united global effort—legal, military, communal, and moral—is our best hope of preserving civilization’s legacy for future generations. Join us as we discuss this very important topic of defending and preserving cultural heritage with experts in the field.

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