International Law and the Protection of Cultural Heritage

The protection of cultural heritage has featured in numerous international events over the last decade. Perhaps the most notorious event has been the destruction and looting of the Baghdad museum and archaeological sites throughout Iraq following the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime. The destruction of monuments, churches and museums, the looting of archaeological sites, and the consequent illicit trafficking of recovered artifacts has occurred in numerous other armed conflicts, including the First Gulf War, the conflict in the Balkans, and Afghanistan, as well as the ongoing conflict in the Levant. These events have led to a number of developments in international law that addresses the protection of cultural heritage.This book comprehensively sets out the international law principles and rules derived from the various international conventions that address cultural heritage in its various manifestations. As such, it acts as an introduction to this growing area of international law. However, the book does not merely describe these principles and rules, but, in the context of contemporary issues and events, critically evaluates the extent to which these international law principles and rules provide an effective and coherent international law framework for the protection of cultural heritage.Forrest, Craig is the author of 'International Law and the Protection of Cultural Heritage', published 2010 under ISBN 9780415467810 and ISBN 0415467810.