Statement of H.E. Mr. Hiroshi Minami
Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations
At the UN Security Council Briefing
On the Destruction and Trafficking of Cultural Heritage by Terrorist Groups and in

Situations of Armed Conflict
24 March 2017

 

 

Thank you, Mr. President,

 

          At the outset, I would like to join others in thanking the briefers for their insight on this important topic.  I welcome the adoption of the Security Council Resolution on this matter and commend the leadership of Italy and France in this regard.  This resolution is a significant step forward on this subject, leading to concrete actions.

 

Mr. President,

 

          We are witnessing tragic incidents in which cultural heritage is targeted for deliberate destruction, looting and smuggling by terrorist groups for the purpose of achieving or forwarding their nefarious objectives.  Japan shares the widespread concern about this situation, and strongly condemns these acts.

          The international community should promptly and collectively respond to this challenge, and I would like to state several insights that Japan emphasizes in this regard.

 

          First, needless to say, the universalization of the international frameworks to protect cultural heritage is crucial. Japan is a state party to the 1954 Hague Convention and its Protocols, the 1970 Convention and other related conventions.  Under these legal frameworks, Japan introduced various domestic measures to prevent illicit trafficking of cultural heritage.  I would like to call on other States, which are not yet parties to these conventions, to join us in our efforts.

 

          Second, we should support the meaningful activities of UNESCO in this area.  Japan has established the UNESCO Japanese Funds-in-Trust for the Preservation of World Cultural Heritage and we have so far contributed 68 million dollars to this fund.  Through UNESCO, we have supported many projects in conflict areas, including Afghanistan, Cambodia and Iraq.

 

          Additionally, I would like to underline the importance of documentation and the archiving of data related to cultural heritage. This will help minimize the potential damage by terrorist groups, as well as facilitate criminal justice procedures.

 

          Furthermore, we should focus on capacity building efforts.  It is vital to foster human resources in targeted countries for the protection and restoration of cultural heritage.  Training in such areas as theft-prevention, early-warning, and the relocation of cultural heritage to safety in armed conflict, must be carried out for the sake of preparedness.  Sharing best practices and lessons learned amongst international organizations such as UNESCO, UNODC and INTERPOL is particularly relevant in this respect.

 

          I am convinced that each of these measures will contribute to preventing terrorist groups from achieving their purposes.

 

Mr. President,

 

          Japan has been actively engaged in international cooperation since the early postwar period, and the Japanese people understand how cultural heritage enriches our minds and lives by teaching us of our past.  To steal or destroy cultural heritage is to steal or destroy our past and our future.  Thus, it is clear that these acts seriously undermine international peace and stability.

 

          Japan is ready to continue working together with the other Member States and the International organizations to thwart these atrocities.

 

Thank you, Mr. President.