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Press
Release - Executive Office of the Director-General
Spokeswoman
THE
DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF UNESCO LAUNCHES AN APPEAL FOR THE PROTECTION
OF HISTORIC,
CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS HERITAGE IN THE PALESTINIAN AUTONOMOUS TOWNS
Paris,
11 April 2002
Alarmed by the threats to which historic, cultural and religious
heritage is being exposed through the violent ongoing fighting in
the main Palestinian autonomous towns, the Director-General has
written to the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Shimon Peres,
and to the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mr Yasser Arafat.
In
his two letters, the Director-General appeals for every effort to
be made “to respect the sacred character of religious sites, not
only those known as the ‘Holy Places’, but also all those built
around them in this region, which was the cradle of civilizations
and which is (…) the symbol of our shared humanity”.
Recalling
that “these monuments - churches, monasteries, synagogues and mosques
- were built by men and women of good faith, who were convinced
of the possibility of a better life for all”, Mr Matsuura urges
that every possible measure be taken not to “kill this age-old hope”.
He calls on the State of Israel, as a party to the Hague Convention
for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict,
to do everything within its power to ensure compliance with this
Convention in all the Palestinian autonomous territories. “This
cultural heritage is the most striking symbol of the fruitful interaction
between peoples, cultures and religions. In destroying it, we jeopardize
the future”.
Emphasizing
that “the choice today is between a headlong descent into the abyss
and what may be the last chance for peace in the region”, the Director-General
expressed his readiness to lend his services to “any mediation that
might help to save lives and irreplaceable monuments and create
the conditions for the resumption of a dialogue based on mutual
respect”.
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Executive Office of the Director-General
Spokeswoman
Telephone : (33.1) 45.68.13.26
Fax : (33.1) 45.68.55.66
E-mail: m.de-pierrebourg@unesco.org
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