Hideo Noguchi, section chief, Division of Cultural Heritage of UNESCO, answers.

 

In the past, what had been your relation with Afghanistan?

Afghanistan has been a Member State of UNESCO since 4 May 1948. Therefore, this country has been participating in the Organization's activities, including those in the field of cultural heritage. Although the Government of Afghanistan is a State Party to the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage since 1979, it has not signed two other Conventions (the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, and the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property), nor signed the most recent international legal instrument UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects (adopted in Rome, Italy, 1995).

What is your current relationship with this country?

Currently, the Ambassador of Afghanistan is the Permanent Delegate of Afghanistan to UNESCO. The Permanent Delegation also acts as the National Commission for UNESCO. In addition, the Minister of Culture and Information, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, has been directly working with UNESCO in the field of cultural heritage.

What do you think of the actions carried out during these last twenty years to preserve his archaeological heritage?

In short, there are many slips in the UNESCO's efforts in the safeguarding of the Afghan cultural heritage. First, the General Conference, at its 17^th and 19^th sessions in 1972 and 1976, adopted Resolution 4.126 and 3.421 respectively, by which the Director-General was authorized to draw up an action plan for the preservation of Bamiyan and with the aim of launching an International Appeal for an International Safeguarding Campaign. However, in spite of uninterrupted efforts of UNESCO, notably through advisory missions, the Campaign is still in preparation. Preventive measures have also been taken, in collaboration with other UN agencies, for the protection of the Kabul Museum. As you are aware, these efforts have not prevented disasters, mainly due to country or remained in the country without resources for action.

What are your future projects in Afghanistan? Are you ready to engage the means or new programmes to safeguard this heritage?

In order to further strengthen international collaboration, UNESCO organized an International Experts Meeting on 30 September 1998. Its recommendations are being implemented. On the same day, the Government of Italy approved a UNESCO Fund-in-trust Project for the Afghan cultural heritage. In addition, the UNESCO General Conference in 1999 adopted Resolution 80 concerning the safeguarding of the Afghan cultural heritage. Based on these decision and recommendations, the relevant activity of UNESCO and its active partners notably ICBS (Blue Shield Committee, of which ICA, ICOM, ICOMOS, IFLA, are members) are being strengthened. For example, the regular inter-agency meeting has been dealing with the Afghan cultural heritage as a priority at the international level, and an international clearing house is being set up. "100 missing objects from Afghanistan" is under preparation for the future publication by ICBS-ICOM-UNESCO. International Principles and modalities are under preparation, in order to monitor illicit acquisition and traffic of Afghan cultural property. These modalities are also to set up agreed principles for UNESCO to receive donated or confiscated property and to return them to the original place when the situation is favourable.

Of the above, the projects for the immediate future, which are in part being developed and in part being implemented, are to address the emergency rescue of damaged cultural property, both movable and immovable, such as the Kabul Museum, the historic city of Herat, Bamiyan, Jam Minaret. They are also to strengthen national capacity in terms of legal and administrative provisions and technical skills.

Paris, 21 December 1999

Hideo Noguchi,

Section chief

Division of Cultural Heritage of Unesco

 

 

Does Switzerland sign the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the means of prohibiting and preventing illicit import, export and transfer of ownership of cultural property?

What is the official UNESCO position regarding the Afghanistan-Museum in Exile, based in Bubendorf, Switzerland, under construction at the moment?

The answer to your first question is that unfortunatelly Switzerland has not signed the 1970 Convention.

As for the second question, no official status of UNESCO has been established concerning the Afghanistan-Museum in Exile. Nevertheless, in close collaboration with ICBS (the International Committee of the Blue Shield) and notably ICOM (International Council on Museums), UNESCO is presently drawing up the international principles and modalities. To receive Afghan movable cultural property and to return them to their original places.