Parliament debates ratification of conventions aimed at protecting heritage during conflicts

Parliament has begun discussing the ratification of three international conventions on the protection of world heritage in the context of armed conflicts, which also aim to prevent the illegal imports and exports of cultural properties.

The conventions in question are UNESCO’s 1954 Hague Convention, the same body’s 1970 Paris Convention, and the UNIDROIT’s 1995 Rome Convention. 

On Wednesday, heritage minister Owen Bonnici opened the discussion, where he announced that cabinet had approved his proposal to seek the ratification’s consensus in the House of Representatives.

Bonnici reminded MPs that the threat of global war has grown significantly in recent years, highlighting that two armed conflicts have reached the European continent’s periphery as he noted, “We’re living in a time of war.”

This, Bonnici noted, is why the conventions’ ratification is more important than ever before. 

The ratification of the convention will equip Malta with a comprehensive and holistic set of global principles that address crimes related to the appropriation of cultural heritage. This will be achieved through the harmonisation of the national regulatory system with other states which have ratified the same conventions. 

The conventions also come into play in a scenario where Malta is attacked by a foreign power, as the conventions aim to protect the theft of national heritage in case of such conflicts.

The debate in Parliament will go on until every MP has a chance to speak during the discussion, after which the conventions are expected to be ratified.