Document Type

Article

Disciplines

International Law

Abstract

What is the link between cultural heritage protection and communities' resilience building in international law? This study examines the critical nexus between cultural heritage safeguarding and resilience-building in international law showing how protecting cultural heritage can enhance communities' ability to cope with unexpected changes and challenges. Cultural heritage, whether tangible or intangible, serves not merely as a repository ofcollective memory or aesthetic beauty but as a dynamic resource that strengthens communities' capacity to withstand and recover from diverse threats, including armed conflict, environmental degradation, and cultural erasure. The analysis adopts a multi-layered approach, exploring how international cultural heritage law addresses this relationship, discussing the World Heritage Convention, the Convention on Cultural Diversity, the Intangible Cultural Heritage Convention, the emerging norms protecting Indigenous peoples' cultural heritage, and the Underwater Cultural Heritage Convention's respective role in safeguarding various forms of cultural heritage and fostering resilience against environmental and human threats. The study concludes that international law is increasingly recognizing cultural heritage as a source of resilience, strengthening social cohesion, building cultural identity, and providing adaptive knowledge systems essential for communities facing existential challenges. It also demonstrates resilience by dynamically interpreting existing norms and adopting new norms and legal categories, while intersecting with other fields of international law. This analysis is particularly apposite in times of crisis, when the structure of international law is under pressure and needs some fluidity, flexibility, and resilience.

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