The Role of the European Union in the Protection and Enhancement of Cultural Heritage in Conflict and Post-Conflict Contexts in the Middle East Region
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The role of the European Union in the protection and enhancement of cultural heritage in conflict and post-conflict contexts in the Middle East region The example of Iraq 1st October 2020 Mehiyar Kathem, Giovanni Fontana Antonelli, Elke Selter and Damien Helly, with Sophie Desmidt EEAS-606-DIVPRISM-SER-FWC The Role of the European Union in the Protection and Enhancement of Cultural Heritage in Conflict and Post-Conflict Contexts in the Middle East region: The example of Iraq This report was executed by the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM), and financed by the Integrated Approach for Security and Peace Directorate of the European External Action Service (EEAS), under the Framework Service Contract EEAS-606-DIVPRISM-SER-FWC, which is managed by the European Forum for International Mediation and Dialogue e.V. (MediatEUr). This report serves as an input to the international conference organised by the EEAS to be held on 12 and 13 November 2020 on “The role of the European Union on the Protection and Enhancement of Cultural Heritage in conflict and post-conflict contexts and mediation". This report was written by Mehiyar Kathem, Giovanni Fontana Antonelli, Elke Selter and Damien Helly, with support from Sophie Desmidt (ECDPM). The authors would like to thank all interviewees for their time and contributions. Special thanks go to Joyce Olders (ECDPM) for her support in editing and lay-out and to Guillaume Décot (EEAS) for his continued guidance. This report reflects the views of its authors, and the European External Action Service cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. 1 The Role of the European Union in the Protection and Enhancement of Cultural Heritage in Conflict and Post-Conflict Contexts in the Middle East region: The example of Iraq Table of Contents List of Boxes ................................................................................................................................................... 3 List of Figures .................................................................................................................................................. 3 List of Tables ................................................................................................................................................... 3 Acronyms ......................................................................................................................................................... 4 Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 5 1.Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 7 1.1. Cultural heritage and peacebuilding in the Middle East ............................................................. 7 1.2. Cultural heritage, reconciliation and conflict prevention ............................................................. 8 2.European and International action in the field of cultural heritage in Iraq .................................................. 10 2.1. The European Union and Member States approaches to cultural heritage in Iraq .................. 10 2.2. International actors’ activities in the field of cultural heritage for conflict prevention ............... 14 2.3. UNESCO’s role in the safeguarding of cultural heritage .......................................................... 17 3.Iraq: assessing the relationship between politics and cultural heritage ...................................................... 19 3.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 19 3.2. Types of cultural erasure in Iraq ............................................................................................... 21 3.2.1.Deliberate acts of cultural destruction and the effects of war .......................................................... 21 3.2.2.Heritage appropriation ..................................................................................................................... 22 3.2.3.Heritage neglect .............................................................................................................................. 22 3.2.4.Development related cultural heritage destruction .......................................................................... 22 3.3. Key Heritage Related Institutions and Organisations in Iraq ................................................... 22 3.3.1.Ministry of Culture and the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage ................................................ 23 3.3.2.Iraq’s National Archives ................................................................................................................... 27 3.3.3.Illicit trafficking of cultural property in Iraq ....................................................................................... 28 3.3.4.Iraqi Religious Endowments ............................................................................................................ 30 3.3.5.Cultural heritage institutions in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq ........................................................... 33 3.3.6.The role of civil society in cultural heritage ...................................................................................... 34 3.3.7.Iraqi universities and cultural heritage ............................................................................................. 35 3.4. Consequences of Iraq’s fragmented national heritage structures............................................ 36 4.Lessons from the EU’s current engagement in Iraq’s fragmented cultural heritage context ...................... 38 5.Towards an EU Strategic Framework on Cultural Heritage protection and enhancement in conflict and crisis situations ............................................................................................................................................. 39 5.1. Cultural heritage: a strategic asset in external conflicts and crises ......................................... 39 5.2. Cultural heritage in the EU comprehensive approach to crisis and peacebuilding .................. 40 6.Key partners ................................................................................................................................................ 42 List of interviewees ........................................................................................................................................ 43 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................................... 44 2 The Role of the European Union in the Protection and Enhancement of Cultural Heritage in Conflict and Post-Conflict Contexts in the Middle East region: The example of Iraq List of Boxes Box 1: The potential of EU Member States in cultural heritage protection.................................................... 13 Box 2: Heritage Interests Among the UN Security Council’s Permanent Members ...................................... 18 Box 3: Addressing Iraq’s long-term cultural heritage conservation needs .................................................... 26 Box 4: The Shrine of Prophet Ezekiel – Cultural loss and heritage appropriation ........................................ 32 List of Figures Figure 1: The EU & cultural heritage protection in conflicts and crisis situations .......................................... 39 List of Tables Table 1: Overview of major international efforts on the post-war recovery of heritage ................................. 17 3 The Role of the European Union in the Protection and Enhancement of Cultural Heritage in Conflict and Post-Conflict Contexts in the Middle East region: The example of Iraq Acronyms ALESCO Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation ALIPH Alliance for International Cultural Heritage Protection ARCH Alliance for the Restoration of Cultural Heritage ASOR American Schools of Oriental Research BnF Bibliothèque Nationale de France CATF Cultural Antiquities Task Force CPF Central Provident Fund CSDP Common Security and Defence Policy DKPO Department of Peacekeeping Operations EAMENA Endangered Archaeology in North Africa and the Middle East EC European Commission ECA US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs ECDPM European Centre for Development Policy Management EDUU Education and Cultural Heritage Enhancement for Social Cohesion in Iraq EEAS European External Action Service EU European Union EUAM European Union Advisory Mission ICC International Coordination Committee (UNESCO) ICCROM International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property ICOMOS International Council on Monuments and Sites IcSP Instrument Contribution to Stability and Peace IICAH Iraqi Institute for the Conservation of Antiquities and Heritage INLA Iraqi National Library and Archives INTERPOL International Criminal Police Organisation KRI Kurdistan Region of Iraq MERA Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs MoI Ministry of Interior NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organisation NGO Non-governmental organisation ONSA Office of the National Security Advisor OSCE Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe SBAH State Board of Antiquities and Heritage SSR Security Sector Reform TPC Tutela Patrimonio Culturale