Shafaqna English- 34 heritage sites in Lebanon were granted “provisional enhanced protection” by UNESCO.
The heritage sites affected “now benefit from the highest level of immunity against attack and use for military purposes”, the United Nations cultural body said in a statement on Monday (18 Nov 2024).
UNESCO said the decision “helps send a signal to the entire international community of the urgent need to protect these sites”.
“Non-compliance with these clauses would constitute ‘serious violations’ of the 1954 Hague Convention and… potential grounds for prosecution,” it added.
UNESCO’s move followed an appeal on Sunday by hundreds of cultural professionals, including archaeologists and academics, to activate the enhanced protection.
Baalbek and Tyre “will receive technical and financial assistance from UNESCO to reinforce their legal protections, improve risk anticipation and management measures, and provide further training for site managers”, the body said.