Southern Africa Strengthens Protection of Cultural Property under the 1954 Hague Convention

Across Southern Africa, cultural heritage is more than a record of the past. From monuments, archaeological sites, museums and archives to sacred places and cultural landscapes, it carries the identities, memories and knowledge of communities and contributes to resilience, peace and sustainable development.

Yet cultural property can be particularly vulnerable during conflict and emergencies. UNESCO is therefore supporting Member States across Southern Africa to strengthen awareness, institutional capacity and preparedness for the protection of cultural property, including through the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its 1954 First Protocol and 1999 Second Protocol.

The Convention provides an international framework for protecting cultural property during armed conflict while encouraging States to put safeguarding measures in place during peacetime. These preparations are increasingly important in a region where heritage institutions must also contend with wider risks, including disasters and illicit trafficking.