Cultural Heritage

UNESCO’s strategy for the safeguarding of Afghanistan’s cultural heritage

The safeguarding of all aspects of cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible, including museums, monuments, archaeological sites, music, art, traditional crafts etc. holds an important position in order to strengthen the sense of national integrity. Cultural heritage can become a rallying point for former adversaries, enabling them to re-build ties and dialogue and re-design a common identity and future together. UNESCO’s strategy is to help re-establish the links between the populations concerned and their cultural history, helping them to develop a sense of common ownership of monuments that represent the cultural identity of different segments of society. It is therefore directly linked to the nation-building process within the framework of the UN and international concerted efforts for rehabilitating Afghanistan.
With reference to UN Secretary-General’s dictum “Our challenge is to help the Afghans help themselves," policies and activities for the safeguarding of Afghanistan’s cultural heritage focus on training and capacity building activities, related to the preservation of this cultural heritage. In addition, following the Government of Afghanistan’s request to UNESCO to coordinate all international efforts in the field of culture, the International Coordination Committee for the Safeguarding of Afghanistan’s Cultural Heritage is being created under the auspices of UNESCO. The Committee’s advice will enable the Afghan authorities to develop a cultural policy framework for immediate and long-term heritage protection.