This statement by <\/u>Robert Jenrick MP<\/u> (Conservative, Newark) offers a commentary on the new five year and <\/u>\u00a33m Iraqi Emergency Heritage Management Project announced this week, to be run by the British Museum assisting in survey and consolidation of cultural artefacts in Iraq.<\/u>\u00a0<\/u><\/p>\n
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office writes:
\n<\/u>The \u00a33m Iraqi Emergency Heritage Management Project \u2013 run by the British Museum over five years \u2013 will be launched at a seminal cultural summit in central London, co-hosted by DCMS and the FCO.\u00a0 It will create a team of local experts to assess, document and stabilise afflicted sites in Iraq, and help begin the process of reconstruction and preservation of some of the world\u2019s most precious cultural artefacts.<\/p>\n
Leading archaeological and political figures including Neil MacGregor from the British Museum and Mechtild R\u00f6ssler from UNESCO will attend the event and debate the shape of a dedicated Cultural Protection Fund, announced by the Chancellor earlier this year.\u00a0 At the event, Mr Whittingdale will also reaffirm the government\u2019s commitment to ratifying the Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict \u2013 with a plan to get it onto the statute books at the first opportunity.<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s announcements form part of a comprehensive Government plan to rescue ancient sites and objects from destruction by terrorists, wars or natural disasters across the world.<\/p>\n
Culture Secretary John Whittingdale said: \u2018Civilisations tell their stories through their art, which is why people who are hell-bent on destruction, target it. Removing places and things that have helped to give people a shared sense of history and identity helps to undermine social cohesion and makes reconciliation less likely.\u00a0 Many heritage sites are used for military purposes to shield and conceal soldiers and weapons, and valuable objects are trafficked to finance warmongering. It must be tackled head on.\u2019<\/p>\n
View the press release<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This statement by Robert Jenrick MP (Conservative, Newark) offers a commentary on the new five year and \u00a33m Iraqi Emergency Heritage Management Project announced this week, to be run by the British Museum assisting in survey and consolidation of cultural … Continue reading