Cultural Heritage and International Security Through the Role of Armed Non-State Actors

The destruction of cultural heritage entails the risk of undermining international peace and security and represents a major threat to human rights worldwide. That is why the issue acquired growing importance within the United Nations agenda. Protecting cultural heritage is pivotal to prevent radicalization and fight extremism, thereby contributing to guaranteeing international security, especially against the new challenges posed by Armed Non-State Actors (ANSAs). The international debate currently focuses not only on physical security but also on ontological security-seeking, which is extrapolated from the individual level. Although self-identity can be assumed to come from interaction with others, identity security feels threatened when boundaries are not stable. The destruction of cultural heritage constitutes both an ontological and physical challenge to human, national, regional, and international security. The UN Security Council Resolutions 2249 (2014), 2199 (2015), and 2347 (2017) specifically address this issue. International obligations to State Parties for the in situ protection of cultural heritage, under both International Humanitarian Law, in particular the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, have become an increasingly important responsibility for armed forces to deliver. Protection of cultural heritage during noninternational armed conflict and the role of ANSAs, which can also contribute to protecting and preserving cultural heritage, have seized little attention. This paper will promote solutions to better guarantee the protection of cultural property, starting with early-warning mechanisms, awareness campaigns, and rethinking regional security because identity does not always coincide with territory borders.