Irina Bokova 'The destruction of heritage is inseparable from the persecution of people.'

woensdag 15 juni 2016, 15:20

DEN HAAG (PDC) - "The destruction of heritage is inseparable from the persecution of people. This is why we consider the protection of cultural heritage today as far more than a cultural issue. This has become a humanitarian imperative, and a security issue,” stated UNESCO’s Director-General Irina Bokova in The Hague during the Europe Lecture 2016, organised by the European Lecture Foundation in collaboration with Europa Nostra and the Netherlands National Commission for UNESCO. The event, held during the Dutch Presidency of the EU, gathered some 300 people at the Kloosterklerk and was honoured by the presence of H.R.H Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands.

Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, President of the International Criminal Court, Sada Mire, Somali Archaeologist and Researcher at Leiden University, and Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović, Secretary-General of Europa Nostra, contributed to this year’s Europe Lecture. The opening remarks were made by City Councilor Ingrid van Engelshoven.

Please find an extensive report (including photos and video) here