Qatari, Moroccan panel discussion on protection of cultural property during armed conflicts convened in Doha

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar National Committee for International Humanitarian Law (NCIHL), in collaboration with its Moroccan counterpart and the Qatar Mus...

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar National Committee for International Humanitarian Law (NCIHL), in collaboration with its Moroccan counterpart and the Qatar Museums Authority (QMA), organised a joint panel discussion on the protection of cultural property during armed conflicts.

The move was part of efforts to reinforce regional and international cooperation to safeguard cultural heritage and consolidate the relevant international humanitarian rules-based order. The panelists weighed in on the shared responsibility in protecting cultural property, the role undertaken by national committees of international humanitarian law, as well as public institutions and civil society in incorporating this action into national policies to ensure effective and enduring legal protection in times of armed conflict.

Attending the panel were the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice and Chairman of the Committee of the State of Qatar, HE Saeed bin Abdullah Al Suwaidi; President of the Moroccan National Committee on International Humanitarian Law, HE Dr. Farida El Khamlichi; and Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Museums (QM), Mohammed Saad Al Rumaihi, alongside a variety of high-ranking officials and other stakeholders interested in this matter.

HE Al Suwaidi affirmed that this panel is a first-of-its-kind event that addresses a topic that not only touches the past but also forms the essence of the present and represents a responsibility toward the future. He stressed that cultural property represents a core pillar of human identity and national development, as well as a viable witness to the interaction of civilisations throughout the eras.

He explained that archaeological sites, historical landmarks, places of worship, museums, manuscripts, and tangible and intangible heritage represent the collective memory of peoples and a bridge between generations, and that any attack on them constitutes a loss to humanity.