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Abu Dhabi declaration on Heritage-at-risk adopted
ABU DHABI, December 3, 2016 (ICOMOS) – The International Conference on Safeguarding Cultural Heritage in Conflict Areas came to a close here, with the adoption of the Abu Dhabi declaration on the protection of endangered heritage. The declaration text mentioned how armed conflicts and terrorism, across all continents are affecting millions of men and women, without sparing their centuries-old heritage. Extremists violently – and often deliberately – attack the cultures of the countries of the people they devastate, seeking to destroy the heritage which belongs to us all.
The declaration reaffirmed the common determination to safeguard the endangered cultural heritage of all peoples, against its destruction and illicit trafficking. It committed to the creation of an international fund for the protection of endangered cultural heritage in armed conflict, which would help finance preventive and emergency operations, fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural artefacts, as well as contribute to the restoration of damaged cultural property and also committed to the creation of an international network of safe havens to temporarily safeguard cultural property endangered by armed conflicts or terrorism. A follow up conference has been proposed in 2017.