Advancing Cultural Rights and the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Iraq

This document discusses possible implementation steps that might enhance the protection of the cultural heritage of Iraq. It can be accessed through Zenodo, an open repository developed under the European OpenAIRE program and operated by the European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN).

The document reports on the United Nations Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) first-ever seminar on the intentional destruction of cultural heritage, held on 7th July 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland. The report was submitted by RASHID International to the 2018 March session  of the UNHRC.

RASHID International e.V. is a worldwide network of archaeologists, cultural heritage experts and like-minded professionals dedicated to safeguarding the cultural heritage of Iraq, ancient Mesopotamia. RASHID is registered as a non-profit organisation in Germany and in special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council since 2019.

Some of the contents of the document are:

• Cultural heritage protection: existing mechanisms and recent developments
• Conditions for the meaningful engagement of rights holders
• Educational programmes on cultural heritage
• Human rights obligations