Cultural heritage—encompassing historical monuments, works of art, and archaeological sites—forms a vital part of the collective memory, identity, and values of communities. In times of armed conflict, this heritage faces significant risks, not only from incidental harm such as collateral damage or looting but also from deliberate attacks aimed at erasing a population’s connection to its history. Over recent decades, culture has increasingly become a frontline casualty of war, with its destruction exploited by belligerents to incite violence, hatred, and vengeance. Such acts undermine social cohesion, destabilize communities, and exacerbate conflicts, making the path to sustainable peace even more challenging. Recognizing the universal importance of cultural heritage for fostering peace, a body of international law has evolved to protect it during armed conflict. This legal framework is reinforced by best practices from military and civilian actors, who must integrate heritage preservation into broader strategies for peacebuilding and security. By adapting tools, behaviors, and skills to safeguard cultural property, military forces and other stakeholders contribute to a more comprehensive and sustainable approach to conflict resolution and post-conflict recovery other than preserving invaluable marks of a community and our shared humanity

The main objective of the course is to provide participants with the legal knowledge and key analytical tools necessary to comply with and apply the existing international rules governing cultural property protection in armed conflict. The course also aims at promoting the use of the UNESCO Manual on the Protection of Cultural Property as a reference manual for military, civilian and humanitarian practitioners deployed in the field.

The programme will integrate both live and self-paced sessions.

Attendees will have the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of the subject through self-paced sub-curricula and live interactions with the high-level teaching staff, accurately selected by the organisers. The delivery of assignments will be required to successfully complete the course (see the concept note of the course for more detailed information).

Exercises and case studies will be mainly focused on the real-life application of the international legal standards illustrated by the facilitators, also offering an opportunity to study the best practices implemented on the ground by the most relevant international organisations, NGOs and other actors.

The course is addressed to a broad range of participants, including civilian and military legal advisors, officers, UN professionals, staff from international governmental and non-governmental organisations, academics, researchers, and other humanitarian practitioners operating in crisis scenarios.