Altre Convenzioni e programmi UNESCO

CONVENZIONE CONCERNENTE LE MISURE DA ADOTTARE PER INTERDIRE E IMPEDIRE L’ILLECITA IMPORTAZIONE, ESPORTAZIONE E TRASFERIMENTO DI PROPRIETÀ DEI BENI CULTURALI (1970)

La convenzione del 1970, ratificata in Italia nel 1978, è il primo documento internazionale  rivolto a contrastare il traffico illecito di beni culturali. Ad oggi presenta 132 Stati membri.

La Convenzione considera “beni culturali” i beni designati da ciascuno Stato come importanti per l’archeologia, la preistoria, la storia, la letteratura, l’arte o la scienza, come elencati negli articoli 1 e 4 della Convenzione.

E’ finalizzata a

• contrastare importazioni ed esportazioni illecite nonché  il trasferimento indebito del titolo di proprietà di beni culturali in quanto tra le principali cause dell’impoverimento del patrimonio culturale;
• assicurare, mediante l’istituzione di servizi nazionali,
  • l’elaborazione di progetti di testi legislativi e normativi al fine di regolamentare la materia
  • la redazione e l’aggiornamento di un inventario nazionale dei beni pubblici e privati, la cui esportazione costituirebbe un impoverimento sensibile del patrimonio culturale nazionale;
  • lo sviluppo o la creazione di istituzioni scientifiche e tecniche (musei, biblioteche, archivi, laboratori, atéliers, ecc.) volte ad assicurare la conservazione e la valorizzazione dei beni culturali;
  • il controllo degli scavi archeologici, la conservazione e la tutela  di alcune zone per  eventuali future ricerche archeologiche;
  • la definizione e il rispetto di regole conformi ai principi etici propri della convenzione che disciplinino i rapporti tra i soggetti coinvolti.
  • un’azione educativa al rispetto del patrimonio culturale di tutti gli Stati e di divulgazione dei contenuti  della presente Convenzione;
  • l’adeguata pubblicità di ogni caso di sparizione di un bene culturale.

A tal riguardo

• Istituisce un certificato di autorizzazione all’esportazione del bene che  dovrà accompagnare lo stesso in ogni eventuale trasferimento.
• Adotta tutte le misure necessarie  per impedire l’acquisizione   di beni culturali esportati illecitamente ed  informarne  gli Stati coinvolti.
• Proibisce l’importazione dei beni culturali rubati in un museo o in un monumento pubblico civile o religioso, o in una istituzione similare, situati sul territorio di un altro Stato membro e ad adottare le misure necessarie per l’eventuale recupero e restituzione dei beni sottratti.
• Regola il rispetto delle prescrizioni anche con l’imposizione di sanzioni penali o amministrative .
• partecipa ad ogni operazione internazionale concertata tra gli stati membri in caso di depredazione di siti archeologici o etnologici.
• promuove attività educative, formative e di vigilanza, esercitata anche  sull’attività degli antiquari .
• sensibilizza l’opinione pubblica  sul valore del  patrimonio culturale e sui rischi di furti,  scavi clandestini ed  esportazioni .
• considera illeciti l’esportazione e il trasferimento forzati di beni culturali, risultanti direttamente o indirettamente dall’occupazione di un paese da parte di una potenza straniera
• promuove la dotazione dei servizi nazionali di protezione del patrimonio culturale di un bilancio sufficiente anche mediante la creazione  di fondi  ad hoc.
• Impone agli stati membri di aggiornare costantemente la Conferenza Generale dell’Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l’educazione, la scienza e la cultura riguardo le attività svolte per l’applicazione della Convenzione.
• Favorisce la collaborazione tra gli stati membri e l’UNESCO su  tematiche relative all’informazione, all’ educazione nonché riguardo la consultazione di esperti e il coordinamento di buone pratiche.
• E’ aperta all’adesione di qualsiasi Stato non membro dell’ Unesco
• può essere oggetto di revisione dalla Conferenza generale dell’Unesco

[:en] Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (1970)

The Convention of 1970, ratified by Italy in 1978, was the first international document that counteracted the illicit trafficking of cultural property. Currently 132 States Parties are signatories.

The Convention considers “cultural property” to be the property designated by each State as being of importance for archaeology, prehistory, history, literature, art or science, as listed in Articles 1 and 4 of the Convention.

The aims of the Convention are to

• counteract the illicit import, export and transfer of ownership of cultural property as one of the main causes of the impoverishment of the cultural heritage;
• by establishing national services, ensure:
  • that laws and regulations are passed that regulate these matters;
  • the establishment and updating of a national inventory of protected public and private property whose export would constitute an appreciable impoverishment of the national cultural heritage;
  • the development or establishment of scientific and technical institutions (museums, libraries, archives, laboratories, workshops…) required to ensure the preservation and presentation of cultural property;
  • the supervision of archaeological excavations to preserve and protect certain areas reserved for future archaeological research;
  • the establishment and respect for rules that comply with the ethical principles set forth in the Convention and that govern the relations between those concerned;
  • that educational measures are taken to stimulate and develop respect for the cultural heritage of all States, and to disseminate knowledge of the provisions of the Convention;
  • that appropriate publicity is given to the disappearance of any items of cultural property.

In that regard, the Convention

• establishes an export authorisation certificate for cultural assets that must accompany them in any transfers.
• takes the necessary measures to prevent the acquisition of cultural property illegally exported and to inform the State Party of origin.
• prohibits the import of cultural property stolen from a museum or a religious or secular public monument or similar institution in another State Party to the Convention, and requires appropriate steps to be taken to recover and return any stolen cultural property.
• regulates the respect of its prescriptions including by imposing penalties or administrative sanctions.
• participates in every concerted international effort between States Parties in cases of pillage of archaeological or ethnological sites.
• promotes education, training, and surveillance, including surveillance of the activities of antique dealers.
• raises public awareness of the value of cultural heritage and about the dangers of theft, clandestine excavation, and illicit export.
• considers unlawful the export and transfer of ownership of cultural property under compulsion arising directly or indirectly from the occupation of a country by a foreign power.
• promotes the provision of an adequate budget to the national services responsible for the protection of cultural heritage and, if necessary, a fund set up for that purpose.
• requires States Parties to constantly update the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation on the action they have taken to apply the Convention.
• encourages collaboration between the States Parties and UNESCO on matters relating to information and education, and with regard to consultation, expert advice, coordination, and good practice.
• is open to accession by all States not members of
• may be revised by the General Conference ofUNESCO

[:en] CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF CULTURAL PROPERTY IN THE EVENT OF ARMED CONFLICT (1954) PROTOCOL I (1954) PROTOCOL II (1999)

Ratified by Italy in 1958, the Hague Convention was inspired by the principles established in the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907, and in the Washington Pact of 15 April 1935. It governs the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict and was followed by two protocols that complemented its contents and specified its methods of application.

It covers movable or immovable property of great importance to the cultural heritage, describing their characteristics in Article 1 and establishing that the protection of such property entails safeguarding and respecting them. Additionally, it:

• requires States Parties to refrain from using cultural assets, their immediate surroundings, and the measures taken to protect them, for purposes that could expose them to destruction or deterioration in cases of armed conflict and any act of hostility, vandalism or retaliation against them;
• also regulates the same matter in the event of total or partial occupation of the territory of other States Parties, and imposes the support of the competent national authorities and the adoption of the necessary protective measures, in close collaboration with those authorities;
• provides for the establishment of special units within the military forces to be responsible for the protection of cultural property;
• establishes a ‘special protection’ regime for a limited number of refuges intended to shelter movable cultural property in the event of armed conflict, and of centres containing monuments and other cultural property, under certain conditions that are clarified by Articles 2 to 6. The assets under protection, specifically marked as such, are considered immune from any act of hostility and from any use for military purposes. The Convention also provides for the possibility of waiving immunity in the event of any breach of the undertakings given by a State Party, and regulates how such a waiver should be governed.

Given the complexity of implementing the Convention, it was followed by a first protocol setting out the operational procedures for managing cultural property located within any territories that might be occupied during an armed conflict.

With the aim of further complementing its contents of the Convention and aligning it with the development of international law, a second protocol, adopted in May 1999, simplified the application of the ‘special protection’ regime.

In accordance with Article 10 of the Second Protocol, cultural property may be placed under enhanced protection provided that it meets the following three conditions:

1. a) it is cultural heritage of the greatest importance for humanity;
2. b) it is protected by adequate domestic legal and administrative measures recognising its exceptional cultural and historic value and ensuring the highest level of protection;
3. c) it is not used for military purposes or to shield military sites, and a declaration has been made by the Party that has control over the cultural property, confirming that it will not be so used.