Destruction of ancient sites and artefacts by Islamist militants means cultural heritage is under threat like never before
3 min read
Heritage Minister Tracey Crouch writes ahead of a new Bill which will attempt to underline Britain's commitment to protecting global culture, artefacts and historic sites.
The wanton destruction of ancient sites and artefacts by Islamist militants that we have seen in recent years has shocked the world. It is not just a national tragedy for those countries, but a global one.
These appalling acts against priceless monuments and objects have shown that cultural heritage is under threat like never before.
Now that Daesh has been driven out of many of their former strongholds, I am proud that archaeologists, trained in Britain, will lead the assessment of the historic site of Nimrud in Iraq.
Much of the Assyrian Empire’s ancient capital was bulldozed by Daesh fanatics, but now these archaeologists will take an important first step to restoring and preserving this precious area.
This work is a sign of the UK’s position as a world leader in the protection of cultural heritage. I will be delighted to welcome some of the Iraqi archaeologists I met at the British Museum to the House of Commons yesterday to see Parliament approve the Cultural Property (Armed Conflicts) Bill.
Our Bill, which is due to become law in the coming weeks, will enable the UK to ratify the Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and accede to its two Protocols - setting a global standard for the protection of cultural property.
It also aims to make the UK the first permanent member of the UN Security Council to accede to both protocols, cementing the UK’s position as a world leader in this area.
Their presence in the gallery was a fitting way to mark this historic milestone. These experts are working in some of the most challenging environments in the world, fighting to rescue and protect priceless sites that have been under brutal attack.
The museum’s Iraq Emergency Heritage Management Project, funded from the Government’s £30 million Cultural Protection Fund, is providing specialist training here and in Iraq to help archaeologists in the demanding task of documenting and preserving severely damaged sites.
We still do not know the full extent of the damage caused by Daesh in Syria and Iraq,
but the destruction of artefacts in the Mosul museum, the looting of Palmyra and the levelling of the historic sites of Nimrud and Hatra caused dismay around the world.
We must protect these treasured sites, which is why I am delighted that cultural heritage and combatting the trafficking of artistic and historic items will be high on the agenda when the G7 Culture Ministers meet in Florence next month.
The first priority is of course to address the human costs of these terrible conflicts, but the UK is also able to use the knowledge and expertise of our world-class institutions to help countries rebuild, restore and protect their unique and ancient cultures.
And this work is not confined to Iraq. Cultural Protection Fund projects will also soon get underway in Afghanistan, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the Turkish-Syrian border.
I am incredibly proud to be the Minister taking this historic piece of legislation through the House. By ratifying the Hague Convention we underline our commitment to protecting global culture, artefacts and historic sites. It shows that we remain an outward-looking, globally-minded country that will continue to play an important role on the international stage.
I am confident that through this we can make a significant contribution to preserving cultural heritage for generations to come.
Tracey Crouch is the Conservative Member of Parliament for Chatham and Aylesford
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