Forty-six countries make statement in support of Ukraine at meeting of World Heritage Committee – Culture Ministry
During the meeting of the World Heritage Committee, which is taking place in New Delhi (India), 46 countries made a statement in support of Ukraine, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy reports.
“The statement emphasizes that the russian federation continually ignores UNESCO’s repeated calls to cease attacks on cultural heritage sites, actions that violate the core values and goals of the Organization, as well as the 1972 Convention,” the ministry’s message reads.
It is noted that the statement focuses on information regarding the scale of destruction and damage to cultural heritage sites in Ukraine since the beginning of russia’s illegal, unprovoked, and unjustified full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It underscores that in the face of russia’s disgraceful actions, including those against the objectives of the 1972 Convention, the international community must demonstrate its determination to uphold its values and implement the decisions made by the World Heritage Committee to protect the heritage of humanity.
In addition, the statement also calls on the russian federation to immediately cease all illegal military actions against Ukraine, withdraw all its armed forces, and respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.
Among other things, the Deputy Minister also called on the international community to enhance monitoring and documentation of the destruction of Ukraine’s cultural heritage, ensure the protection and preservation of cultural values in temporarily occupied territories, and advocate for changes and adaptations to procedures and protocols to address current global challenges such as wars and military conflicts.