Protection of Cultural Heritage in Armed Conflicts

Abstract

Various international conventions have emphasized the protection of human rights in general, in addition to their emphasis on the protection of cultural rights from any violations they may be exposed to. The protection of cultural heritage, whether archaeological or heritage, is one of the most important aspects of the protection of cultural rights. However, the Iraqi cultural heritage has been subjected to many violations in various forms, including its exposure to destruction during armed conflicts. Despite the emphasis of international conventions related to human rights on the protection of cultural rights, represented by the protection of the cultural heritage of peoples as one of the cultural rights, the internal laws of countries have emphasized the protection of cultural heritage, i.e. the protection of the archaeological and heritage civilizational heritage, according to their texts, including the Iraqi Antiquities and Heritage Law No. 55 of 2002 in force. This came with the aim of providing the greatest degree of protection and preservation of our cultural heritage and preventing attacks on it, on the one hand, and emphasizing the protection of cultural human rights in Iraq, on the other hand.