United
Nations (United States) (AFP) - UN member-states on Thursday declared
that the destruction by jihadists of Iraqi cultural sites may amount to
war crimes and agreed to take steps to curb the trade of stolen ancient
artifacts.
The
General Assembly adopted a resolution on saving Iraq's cultural sites
as international concern mounted over the fate of the Syrian
archeological site of Palmyra captured by Islamic State fighters a week
ago
Videos of IS combatants destroying artifacts at the Mosul
museum and smashing sledgehammers into ancient walls at Hatra and Nimrud
sparked an outcry and calls to prevent the "cultural cleansing" of the
Middle East.
The non-binding resolution drafted by Germany and
Iraq condemns the "barbaric" destruction and looting of heritage sites
and calls for the prosecution of perpetrators of cultural vandalism.
The
measure urges states to ensure that art collectors, auction houses, art
dealers and museum professionals provide documentation to verify the
provenance of artifacts.
"The destruction of Iraqi cultural
heritage, the cradle of civilization, is no less barbaric and serious
than killing Iraqis," Iraq's Ambassador Mohamed Ali Alhakim told the
193-nation assembly.
German state minister Maria Boehmer said the
destruction of world heritage sites "is a war crime and an attack on
humanity as a whole."
"Every
person needs to know that the purchase of property from Iraq is
punishable but also that it supports and finances terrorist activities,"
said Boehmer.
The resolution
calls for stepped-up efforts to protect and track items of cultural
heritage and warns that attacks on historic monuments may amount to war
crimes.
During a news
conference following the adoption, Alhakim lamented that the Security
Council did not adopt such a resolution, which would then have been
binding and enforceable.
The
council in February adopted a resolution that seeks to cut off financing
to the Islamic State group from the smuggling of antiquities.
That measure slapped a ban on the sale of antiquities from Syria, while a 10-year-old ban on those from Iraq remains in force.