Inter-American Juridical Committee
- October 2013
OAS Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs to hear views of Inter-American Juridical Committee rapporteur for model legislation on protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict
The Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs
will hear the views of the Inter-American Juridical
Committee's rapporteur for the topic of "Model
legislation on protection of cultural property in
the event of armed conflict," Dr. Elizabeth Villalta
Vizcarra, on Thursday, October 24.
Dr. Villalta Vizcarra will present a proposed law
that the CJI adopted last March, in a bid to
"support the efforts made by member states to
fulfill obligations under international humanitarian
law treaties," pursuant to a General Assembly
mandate on the "promotion of and respect for
international humanitarian law," resolution AG/RES.
2650 (XLI-O/11).
The Model Legislation proposes rules for respecting
and safeguarding in terms of the general, special,
and enhanced protection of cultural property, and as
regards respecting the "special protection" of a
particular set of movable cultural properties,
centers containing monuments, and other immovable
cultural property of very great importance (referred
to as cultural heritage properties for humankind).
The overall scope of protection commits states to
acting in times of peace to take preventive measures
including preparation of inventories; planning of
emergency measures; preparation for possible
transfer of cultural properties; promotion of all
these measures; designation of competent authorities
to take responsibility for measures to safeguard
these properties. In terms of preparing and
submitting reports, states are urged to implement
the 1954 Hague Convention provisions. The proposed
legislation reaffirms that responsibility for
protection rests with all parties to a conflict and
cannot be derogated except in cases of "imperative
military need," which is defined under international
humanitarian law.
The meeting of the Committee on Juridical and
Political Affairs will be held in the Simón Bolivar
Room of the OAS Main Building, 17th St. and
Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C.,
beginning at 2:30 p.m.
.
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