International Protection of Syrian Cultural Heritage Sites The Realty, Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract

Cultural heritage is an important aspect of history, as it forms part of the common heritage of all humanity. It has been exposed to increasing threats due to wars, excavation and illegal smuggling. The protection of cultural heritage is considered one of the most important challenges facing international laws in recent years. Great efforts have been made to protect heritage, and the complexity has increased due to wars and disasters in the world in general and Syria in particular. After many attempts, international laws have put in place, and the need has become urgent to provide international legal protection from in order to protect cultural heritage for the benefit of all humanity. International organizations faced great challenges and accusations of negligence and failure to take the necessary legal measures to protect cultural heritage during wars and crises, and their interest was only in issuing laws and legislation, at a time when cultural heritage is still exposed to destruction, theft, excavation and illegal trafficking, especially Syrian cultural heritage. The research aims to shed light on the most important international laws and conventions concerned with the protection of cultural heritage, in addition to evaluating the role of international organizations and law in implementing methods of legal protection of cultural heritage sites in situations of war and peace. The research relied on descriptive and historical approaches in an analytical manner, to identify and evaluate international legal texts concerned with the protection of cultural heritage. As well as the inductive approach, by analyzing the efforts of international organizations and legislation that addressed the legal protection of cultural heritage. The research concluded that it is necessary to join the efforts of the international community, develop laws and legislation, and provide the necessary funding to protect the Syrian cultural heritage during and after the war, in addition to addressing the legal gaps in international legislation, applying criminal liability in the event of violations of international protection law, and, in addition, activating the role of the international judiciary in during these laws, especially during wars. The research recommends the need to establish a unified international law concerned with the protection of cultural heritage to which all member states of international organizations adhere, and to activate an international criminal court that holds perpetrators of violations and violations of international law concerned with the protection of cultural heritage accountable.