Cultural heritage in Iraq

    Press Release
    April 15, 2003
    Looting of the Iraqi Cultural Heritage

    The International Council of Museums (ICOM)
    <URL:http://icom.museum> expresses grave concern over the
    destruction of the Iraqi heritage and the looting of the museums
    in Iraq.

    It urgently implores the countries involved in this conflict to
    assume their responsibilities by ensuring the protection of all
    the monuments, archaeological sites, museums and other heritage
    institutions in Iraq, in the spirit and the respect of The Hague
    Convention (1954) for the Protection of Cultural Property in the
    Event of Armed Conflict.

    ICOM warns art dealers, auction houses, collectors and museums
    against the acquisition of objects that might belong to the
    Iraqi heritage, and recommends not to purchase items coming from
    this region.

    The greatest vigilance must be observed so as not to be
    participate in the illicit traffic of Iraqi cultural property.
    Theft and looting of the Iraqi cultural heritage are irreparable
    attacks on the heritage of humanity.

    ICOM
    Maison de l'UNESCO- 1, rue Miollis
    75732 Paris cedex 15 - France
    +33 1 47.34.05.00
    Fax: +33 1 43.06.78.62
    secretariat [at] icom__org


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 16:61
                 Distributed: Wednesday, April 16, 2003
                       Message Id: cdl-16-61-012
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