Thursday, March 11

Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict

People's Republic of China
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
FHSMUN 31
Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict

Established in 1945, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is one of the many United Nations specialized organizations. The purpose of UNESCO is to promote international collaboration through education, science, and culture in order to further universal respect for justice, rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms proclaimed in the UN Charter.[1] One of UNESCO’s biggest goals currently is to preserve World Heritage Sites, which is a place deemed either to have cultural or physical significance.

Currently, the People’s Republic of China is home to 38 cultural heritage sites. China has the most cultural sites in Asia and the third most in the world, behind Italy and Spain respectively.[2] The most famous of these sites are the Great Wall and Mount Emei Scenic Areas, which includes the Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area. Out of these Cultural Heritage sites, none so far of them have been deemed as being in danger.[3] China has taken considerable measures to protect these cultural heritage sites. The government established the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Cultural Relics in 1982 and has revised it steadily since. The central and local governments have been steadily increasing financial input for the conservation of Cultural Heritage along with the Military of Finance, who has injected 224 million Yuan into the conservation during the Tenth Five-year Plan period of 2001-2005, which is an increase of 20.5 percent compared to the previous Five-Year Plan period of 1996-2000.[4] China also places an incredible amount of emphasis on preventing the illegal excavation of excavation and traffic of cultural relics.

The Chinese government has currently been providing assistance to other nations in the protection of cultural property. In 2005, a donation was made of 14.5 million Yuan to the Angkor Wat Project in Cambodia in order to help renovations of the Chau Say Thevoda. Major Chinese businesses have also been donating or doing other ways to assist nations. Other than foreign nations, the People’s Republic of China has also made donations to UNESCO, particularly to the World Heritage Centre as well as considerable investments for Information for All Programme and science education.[5] The Chinese government has always placed a great emphasis on the protection of cultural property, and thus feels the need to aid such an important cause through these donations.

The People’s Republic of China feels that all cultural property should be protected, especially when it is endangered. Endangered property should have priority over those not endangered, since it is at most risk. All cultural property is important, and all should be preserved as much as possible. Cultural property is the history of mankind, and protecting it is preserving that history for future generations and for those who are interested in their heritage.
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