Best practice of the States Parties to the 1954 Hague Convention

Best practice of the States Parties to the 1954 Hague Convention
  • Prizren, Kosovo © Federal Ministry of Defence of Austria

Safeguarding of cultural property (Switzerland)

National implementation, in time of peace, of safeguarding measures against the foreseeable effects of an armed conflict, is an essential tool to ensure the preservation of cultural property in jeopardy. Those measures are also efficient in protecting cultural property against natural disasters or to fight illicit traffic. Switzerland has a very rich experience in this field which may inspire other States Parties to the Convention.

For more information (provided by the Federal Office for Civil Protection, Section of Protection of Cultural Property, Berne, Switzerland):

Military aspects of the implementation of the 1954 Convention and its Second Protocol (Austria)

The dissemination of the provisions of the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its two Protocols within armed forces and the creation of the appropriate military services for the protection of cultural property is essential to raise awareness among the military of this issue in order to ensure they make use of such provisions in the event of armed conflict. The practical example of Austria will be certainly of interest to other member states.

For more information (PDF):

Presentation (provided by Dr Schuller and Mr Karl Habsburg-Lothringen) on „Capacity-building and awareness-raising on the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict: the perspective of military and security forces / training and preparatory measures in the armed forces" .

Peacetime marking of cultural property with the distinctive emblem of the 1954 Hague Convention (El Salvador)

The main purposes of the El Salvador project concerning the peacetime marking of immovable cultural property with the distinctive emblem of the 1954 Hague Convention are to mark the main protected cultural property in our country as well as to promote and to disseminate the Convention by making the authorities and the public aware of its content and of the existence of the distinctive emblem. This project will undoubtedly contribute to improve the protection of these sites.  In addition, its implementation will strengthen cultural identity within civil society in El Salvador and contribute to the development of the country.