A/71/317
(c) Take appropriate legislative, administrative, educational and
technical measures to prevent, avert, stop and suppress intentional destruction
of cultural heritage. In this regard, States should:
(i) Prepare in peacetime for any possible threat to cultural heritage in
time of war, including through documenting the tangible and intangible
cultural heritage within their jurisdiction, as well as employing digital
technologies and new media, wherever feasible;
(ii) Allocate sufficient budgetary resources, at both the national and
international levels, to the protection of cultural heritage, including
through making their full contributions to the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO);
(iii) Provide international technical assistance to facilitate prevention of
the intentional destruction of cultural heritage;
(iv) Implement educational programmes on the importance of the
cultural heritage and cultural rights of all, especially for young people,
and review existing curricula with a view to ensuring that they reflect the
culture and heritage of all, as recommended by the Committee on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;
(d) Train fully the personnel of all relevant agencies, inter alia, military
forces and customs and law enforcement officials, including firefighters and
police, in the application of all relevant rules concerning the protection of and
respect for cultural rights and cultural heritage, including in armed conflict;
(e) Take all steps necessary to facilitate prosecution of those responsible
for intentional destruction of cultural heritage, looting and illicit trafficking in
cultural objects at the national or the international level, in accordance with
relevant international standards; and to this end, collect and preserve evidence
needed for such prosecution;
(f) Promote truth processes, involving all relevant stakeholders, to
determine the history of, and enable fact-finding with regard to, the destruction
of the cultural heritage of all; and include cultural heritage and cultural rights
in any transitional justice or truth and reconciliation processes;
(g) Engage in assessment and emergency stabilization efforts with
regard to tangible cultural heritage that has been subject to destruction or
damage, to the extent feasible, while armed conflicts are ongoing;
(h) Subsequently, before proceeding with any form of reconstruction or
long-term preservation efforts, conduct thorough consultations among local,
national and international stakeholders, including technical experts and
relevant populations, taking into consideration the need to memorialize
conflicts within the context of cultural heritage sites;
(i) Recognize the role that cultural rights and cultural heritage
preservation can play in the integration and rehabilitation of refugees and
displaced persons after trauma, and in giving refugees a place to which to
return, as well as their importance in post-conflict stabilization and
reconciliation; and ensure the cultural rights of refugees and displaced persons,
including women, and especially those from locations where cultural heritage
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