UNESCO 1970 Convention
Source: Indian Express
GS II: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate
Overview
- News in Brief
- About UNESCO 1970 Convention
- Need for UNESCO 1970 Convention
Why in the News?
The issue of repatriating artefacts taken from Southeast Asia during colonial times is gaining traction, with European museums facing pressure to return looted treasures.
News in Brief
- During Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet’s state visit to France in January, President Emmanuel Macron pledged support for returning more Khmer artefacts and for technical assistance to expand the National Museum of Cambodia.
- France’s National Museum of Asian Art had agreed to return the head and body of a seventh-century Khmer statue, which had been taken in the 1880s, to Cambodia on a five-year loan agreement.
- Berlin followed suit and agreed to return to the southern African nation of Namibia artefacts taken during a genocide in the early 20th century.
- Last July, two museums in the Netherlands, including the Rijksmuseum, handed back hundreds of artefacts to Indonesia and Sri Lanka, former Dutch colonies.
About UNESCO 1970 Convention
- 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.
- It is the principal legal source when a country claims to have its possessions returned.
- This convention “does not apply retrospectively, so it does not include the peak phase of colonialism
- It provides a common framework for the States Parties on the measures to be taken to prohibit and prevent the import, export and transfer of cultural property.
- Articles 7-Return stolen cultural property and 13 of the 1970 convention provide the provisions for restitution.
- The requesting State has to provide all the evidence to support its claim.
- There are a total of 142 parties in the UNESCO 1970 Convention.
Need for UNESCO 1970 Convention
- A very large number of countries would need to be involved in any such agreement.
- Since the 15th century, almost every region of the world has been part of colonial structures, at least for a certain period of time.
- Cultural objects and collections brought to Europe originate from a variety of different acquisition contexts, each of which potentially involves specific forms of handling.
About United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It seeks to build peace through international cooperation in Education, the Sciences and Culture. UNESCO’s programmes contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals defined in Agenda 2030, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015.
- Headquarters: Place de Fontenoy, in Paris
- The Organization has 193 Members and 11 Associate Members.
- All Member States have established a National Commission for UNESCO.
- Most Member States have established Permanent Delegations to UNESCO
Importance of UNESCO
- UNESCO develops educational tools to help people live as global citizens free of hate and intolerance.
- UNESCO works so that each child and citizen has access to quality education.
- By promoting cultural heritage and the equal dignity of all cultures, UNESCO strengthens bonds among nations.
- UNESCO fosters scientific programmes and policies as platforms for development and cooperation.
- UNESCO stands up for freedom of expression, as a fundamental right and a key condition for democracy and development.
- Serving as a laboratory of ideas, UNESCO helps countries adopt international standards and manages programmes that foster the free flow of ideas and knowledge sharing.
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