Jerusalem/Cultural heritage – UNESCO Gen. Conference resolution

UNESCO

GENERAL CONFERENCE

Seventeenth Session

Paris, 17 October – 21 November 1972

SOCIAL SCIENCES, HUMANITIES AND CULTURE

PRESERVATION AND PRESENTATION OF THE CULTURAL HERITAGE

Resolution

Res. 3.422

The General Conference,

Aware the exceptional importance of the cultural property in the Old City of Jerusalem, particularly of the Holy Places, not only to the countries directly concerned but to all humanity, on account of their exceptional cultural, historical and religious value,

Recalling once more the provisions of the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (The Hague, 1954),

Recalling once more Security Council resolutions 250 of 21 May 1968, 267 of 3 July 1969 and 298 of 25 September 1971, and resolutions 2253 and 2254 (4 and 14 July 1967) of the United Nations General Assembly concerning measures and actions affecting the status of the City of Jerusalem,

Recalling resolutions 3.342 and 3.343 adopted by the General Conference at its fifteenth session, and decisions 4.4.2, 4.3.1, 4.3.1, 4.4.1 and 4.3.1 adopted by the Executive Board at its 82nd, 83rd, 88th, 89th and 90th sessions respectively,

Recalling particularly paragraph 7 of decision 4.3.1 of the 88th session of the Executive Board, which invites the Director-General 'to ensure the presence of Unesco in the City of Jerusalem with a view to securing an efficient implementation of the resolutions of the General Conference and the Executive Board in this respect',

Taking note of decision 4.3.1 adopted by the Executive Board at its 90th session, which observed 'that Israel's attitude does not constitute a satisfactory response' to the Executive Board decisions 4.3.1 and 4.4.1 of the  88th and 89th sessions as communicated in the letter of the Director General dated 18 July 1972 and in which the Board decided 'in view of the attitude of Israel… to submit the matter to the General Conference under item 13.3 (doc. 17C/5, Sub-Chapter 3.4: Preservation of Cultural Heritage) with a view to securing an efficient implementation of the resolutions of the General Conference and of the Executive Board in this respect,

Noting that Israel persists in not complying with the relevant resolutions and that its attitude prevents this Organization from undertaking the mission which is incumbent upon it under the terms of the Constitution,

Having noted the Director-General's proposal to provide, Israel with an expert, a measure which does not seem  sufficient to establish Unesco's presence in Jerusalem,

1. Disapproves of the continuation by Israel of  archaeological excavations in Jerusalem;

2. Urgently calls again upon Israel:

(a) to take the necessary measures for the scrupulous preservation of all sites, buildings and other cultural properties, especially in the Old City of Jerusalem;

(b)  to desist from any alteration of the features of the City of Jerusalem;

(c) to desist from any archaeological excavations, the transfer of cultural properties and any alteration of their features or their cultural and historical character, particularly with regard to Christian and Islamic religious sites;

(d) to adhere scrupulously to the provisions of the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (The Hague, 1954) and of the above-mentioned resolutions;

3. Invites the Director-General to continue his efforts to establish the effective presence of Unesco in the City of Jerusalem and thus make possible the actual implementation of the resolutions adopted by the General Conference and the Executive Board for that purpose;

4. Invites the Director-General to report to the Executive Board at its 92nd session on the implentation of this resolution in order to enable it, should the occasion arise, to consider the necessary measures.