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Sunday 18 Oct 2015 - 14:13 Makkah mean time-5-1-1437
Photo from Internet
Paris (IINA) – UNESCO has approved Italy’s proposal to send UN peacekeepers to protect heritage sites around the world from various threats, primarily from terrorist attacks and destruction by militants, Russia Today (RT) reported.
"UNESCO has said yes to the Cultural Blue Helmets," Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said, adding that 53 countries alongside UN Security Council members supported the suggestion in the light of the destruction of cultural sites, including Syria’s Palmyra, by Islamic State (IS) militants.
"Faced with IS terrorist attacks and the terrible images of Palmyra, the international community cannot stand back and watch," Franceschini stressed as quoted by AFP.
He also called on the United Nations to “immediately define the operational aspects of this international task force”.
Italy has been calling for the formation of a “blue helmets of culture” group since late March. At that time, Franceschini said that protecting world’s cultural heritage could not be left to an individual state, stressing that “an international rapid response force” was needed “to defend monuments and archaeological sites in conflict zones”.
In April, UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, urged the Security Council to add the protection of cultural sites to the list of tasks for UN peacekeeping forces.
However, the threat to cultural sites comes not only from IS militants but also from other conflicts around the world. On Friday, Irina Bokova expressed her concern over the escalation of violence against cultural and religious heritage in the Middle East and condemned the arson committed against Joseph's Tomb in the West Bank.
“Cultural and religious heritage embodies values that transcend the lines of culture and faith. Nothing can justify their violation,” she said in an official statement.
She also stressed that protecting cultural site was “not only about monuments, they are linked to human lives; it is part of the people’s identities”.
AB/IINA
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