1954 hague convention for the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict

The present Protocol shall bear the date of 14 May, 1954 and, until the date of 31 December, 1954, shall remain open for signature by all States invited to the Conference which met at The Hague from 21 April, 1954 to 14 May, 1954.ħ. (a) The present Protocol shall be subject to ratification by signatory States in accordance with their respective constitutional procedures. Cultural property coming from the territory of a High Contracting Party and deposited by it in the territory of another High Contracting Party for the purpose of protecting such property against the dangers of an armed conflict, shall be returned by the latter, at the end of hostilities, to the competent authorities of the territory from which it came.Ħ. The High Contracting Party whose obligation it was to prevent the exportation of cultural property from the territory occupied by it, shall pay an indemnity to the holders in good faith of any cultural property which has to be returned in accordance with the preceding paragraph.ĥ. Such property shall never be retained as war reparations.Ĥ.

Each High Contracting Party undertakes to return, at the close of hostilities, to the competent authorities of the territory previously occupied, cultural property which is in its territory, if such property has been exported in contravention of the principle laid down in the first paragraph. This shall either be effected automatically upon the importation of the property or, failing this, at the request of the authorities of that territory.ģ.

Each High Contracting Party undertakes to take into its custody cultural property imported into its territory either directly or indirectly from any occupied territory. Each High Contracting Party undertakes to prevent the exportation, from a territory occupied by it during an armed conflict, of cultural property as defined in Article I of the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, signed at The Hague on 14 May, 1954.Ģ. The High Contracting Parties are agreed as follows :ġ. Office of International Standards and Legal Affairs.

1954 hague convention for the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict