This consulatation is now closed. The deadline for responses was 2 December 2005.

A Summary of Responses Received to the Government's Consultation

The Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (the Hague Convention) was signed at The Hague on 14 May 1954.  The Convention provides for a system of general and special protection of cultural property in situations of international and non-international armed conflict. Cultural property for this purpose is defined as "movable and immovable property of great importance to the cultural heritage of every people".  The Convention is supplemented by two Protocols – the first adopted at the same time as the Convention, in 1954 (the First Protocol) and the second adopted in 1999 (the Second Protocol). A copy of the Convention and the two Protocols can be downloaded from the website of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).    

The UK Government publicly announced its intention to ratify the 1954 Hague Convention and accede to both its Protocols on 14 May 2004, the 50th anniversary of the Convention.

The UK decided not to ratify the Convention when it was first drafted because, along with a number of other countries, it considered that it did not provide an effective regime for the protection of cultural property.

In 1991, the Netherlands Government and UNESCO conducted a review of the working of the Convention and the Protocol. This resulted in the adoption of the Second Protocol in 1999, at a Diplomatic Conference in The Hague. The UK welcomed the work on this Second Protocol and was actively engaged in its negotiation with the objective of helping to produce a Second Protocol that would enable the UK to ratify the Convention. 

Our ratification of the Convention and accession to its Protocols will send out an important message regarding the UK's commitment to the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict and will complete the UK's ratification of the major international humanitarian law treaties.

The DCMS is the lead department in taking this forward, but there is support for it throughout Whitehall. In particular, we have been working closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Ministry of Defence and the Home Office.

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On Tuesday 6 September 2005 DCMS launched a consultation document, which asks a number of important questions on the most suitable way for the UK to meet its obligations under the Hague Convention.

Hague Convention Consulation document (PDF 516kb)

Please note that all information in responses, including personal information, may be subject to publication or disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.  If a correspondent requests confidentiality this cannot be guaranteed, and will only be possible if considered appropriate under the legislation.

If you have any questions or complaints about the process of consultation on this paper, please contact Liz Sweet, Consultation Co-ordinator, Strategy Division, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2-4 Cockspur Street, London SW1Y 5DH, liz.sweet@culture.gsi.gov.uk