The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted resolution (2347) for the protection of cultural heritage, religious sites and artifacts, and the smuggling of cultural property.
The 15-member Council deplored the unlawful destruction of cultural heritage, religious sites and artifacts, and the smuggling of cultural property by terrorist groups during armed conflict, affirming that such attacks might constitute a war crime and must be brought to justice.
Welcoming the step, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova called the resolution "Historic", and said that it reflects a new recognition of the importance of heritage protection for peace and security.
Addressing the public briefing of the United Nations Security Council on "Maintenance of international peace and security: destruction and trafficking of cultural heritage by terrorist groups and in situations of armed conflict", Bokova said that the deliberate destruction of heritage is a war crime, it has become a tactic of war to tear societies over the long term, in a strategy of cultural cleansing.
"This is why defending cultural heritage is more than a cultural issue, it is a security imperative, inseparable from that of defending human lives," she stressed. "Weapons are not enough to defeat violent extremism. Building peace requires culture also; it requires education, prevention, and the transmission of heritage. This is the message of this historic resolution," she added.
Resolution 2347 is the first ever resolution adopted by the Security Council to focus on Cultural heritage. .

Source : QNA