Paris, 1 April 2026 – UNESCO today convened an extraordinary meeting to strengthen the protection of cultural heritage in Lebanon, following the country’s request. The meeting – an extraordinary session of the Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict – led to granting provisional enhanced protection to 39 cultural properties as well as the provision of an international financial assistance, totaling over 100,000USD for emergency operations on the ground.
“Cultural heritage must be protected. It is the backbone of people’s identity, trust and hope, and it carries the promise of peace and recovery. When heritage is destroyed anywhere, moral standards are undermined, social cohesion is eroded, and trust and resilience are jeopardized. It is time to renew our commitment to protect culture – for the past, the present and the future of all peoples.” said Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Assistant Director-General for Culture a.i.
List of the protected sites:
These 39 cultural properties now benefit from the highest level of legal protection against attack and use for military purposes. Non-compliance with these clauses would constitute serious violations of the 1954 Hague Convention and its 1999 Second Protocol and would constitute potential grounds for criminal responsibility.
The sites placed under enhanced protection will receive technical and financial assistance from UNESCO to reinforce their legal protection, improve risk anticipation and management measures, and provide further training for cultural professionals and military personnel in this area. Enhanced protection also helps send a signal to the entire international community of the urgent need to protect these sites.
This emergency initiative complements the action already undertaken by UNESCO in recent weeks to protect cultural heritage in impacted countries in the Middle East. Since the outbreak of hostilities, UNESCO has been working closely with the Ministry of Culture and the Directorate General of Antiquities in Lebanon to support the secure storage of archeological collections and museums.
UNESCO is also carrying out satellite monitoring of historical and heritage sites, in order to assess their state of conservation and any damage they have incurred, in partnership with UNITAR/UNOSAT, the United Nations Satellite Centre. So far, UNESCO has been able to confirm damages to the city of Tyre in Lebanon, inscribed in the World Heritage Sites list in 1984, in addition to other properties in neighboring countries.
UNESCO is ready to provide further expertise or assistance and reminds all involved parties of their obligations to protect cultural and natural heritage including in the event of armed conflict.
About UNESCO
With 194 Member States, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization contributes to peace and security by leading multilateral cooperation on education, science, culture, communication and information. Headquartered in Paris, UNESCO has offices in 54 countries and employs over 2300 people. UNESCO oversees more than 2000 World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks; networks of Creative, Learning, Inclusive and Sustainable Cities; and over 13 000 associated schools, university chairs, training and research institutions, with a global network of 200 National Commissions. Its Director-General is Khaled El-Enany.
“Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed” – UNESCO Constitution, 1945.
More information: www.unesco.org
More on the 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage
More on the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its two (1954 and 1999) Protocols: basic texts; 2010