CULTURAL HERITAGE PROTECTION IN INTERNATIONAL LAW IN THE CONTEXT OF TERRORIST THREATS AND ARMED CONFLICTS

Abstract

The article examines the system of international legal mechanisms for protecting cultural heritage in the context of contemporary terrorist threats and armed conflicts. The author analyzes the dual nature of terrorist attacks on cultural sites: on the one hand, as a tool of psychological pressure and the destruction of symbols of identity, and on the other, as a source of funding for extremist activities through the illicit trafficking of artifacts. The paper presents a systematic analysis of international conventions that form a multi-layered system for protecting cultural heritage: the 1954 Hague Convention (Protection in Armed Conflicts), the 1970 UNESCO Convention (Prevention of Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Property), the 1972 World Heritage Convention, the 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Heritage, and the 2003 Convention on the Intangible Heritage. Particular attention is paid to the interaction of these tools for protecting cultural heritage in the face of terrorist threats. Based on an analysis of UN Security Council resolutions 2199 (2015) and 2347 (2017), as well as the national legislation of Iran, Iraq, and Syria, gaps in the existing protection system are identified and ways to improve international cooperation in combating the looting and destruction of cultural objects are proposed. The precedentsetting significance of the 2016 International Criminal Court ruling recognizing the destruction of cultural objects as a war crime is considered. It is concluded that the destruction of cultural heritage must be recognized as a crime against humanity and that coordination must be strengthened between states, international organizations (UNESCO, INTERPOL, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime), and the private sector (museums, auction houses) in combating the illicit trade in cultural property