Azerbaijan joins UNESCO's efforts to protect cultural property during conflicts

/By AzerNews/

By Amina Nazarli

Azerbaijan has become a member of UNESCO's Committee for Protection of Cultural Property in Event of Armed Conflict.

Established by the Second Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention, the Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict works in close co-operation with the Director-General to accomplish main functions such as granting, suspension or cancellation of enhanced protection, supervision of the implementation of the Second Protocol.

Now, for the following four years, Azerbaijan will be among other 11 States Parties, which will have the right to vote and express its views at this influential committee.

Azerbaijan has been long suffering from the occupation of 20 percent of its territory for more than 20 years by Armenia.

The country has one million refugees and internally displaced people, suffered from the ethnic cleansing and expelled from their territory.

Armenia's aggression against Azerbaijan resulted not only in the annihilation of tens of thousands of Azerbaijanis, but also led to the destruction of numerous precious artifacts and monuments of great historical and spiritual value in an attempt to grab Azerbaijan’s glorious history, culture, cuisine and traditions.

Baku repeatedly lambasted Yerevan for annihilating Azerbaijan’s historical and cultural heritage, which is also an integral part of the world heritage.

As a result of Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan, 927 libraries, nine mosques, 44 shrines, 464 historical monuments and museums, over 40,000 museum pieces were looted, destroyed and crushed on the occupied territories.

The country’s latest calculations showed that the damages caused by Armenia during the years of occupation stand at an estimated $700 billion.

The destruction and damage of historical and cultural monuments by the Armenian invaders in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan contradict the 1954 Hague convention on the preservation of cultural values during armed conflicts, the 1992 European convention on preservation of archeological heritages, and the 1972 UNESCO convention on preservation of world cultural and natural heritages.

Azerbaijan's membership in this important committee will make a significant contribution to inform the world community about the destruction of cultural heritage by Armenian side in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

The membership will allow the country directly observe the processes taking place in the field of protection of cultural property during armed conflicts.