DCMS's International Cultural Heritage Protection Programme
The UK is a world leader and innovator in cultural heritage protection and has taken concrete steps to safeguard some of humanity’s most valued cultural heritage.
The UK for International Cultural Heritage Protection
The UK is a world leader and innovator in cultural heritage protection and recognises its critical role in tackling some of the most pressing issues facing the global community today. Following the deliberate looting and destruction of cultural assets by Daesh (Islamic State) as a tool of war in the Middle East and North Africa, the UK has taken concrete steps to safeguard some of humanity’s most valued cultural heritage. Since 2015 we have worked with partners including the British Council, the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Museum to deliver cultural heritage programmes in ODA eligible countries.
In addition to promoting economic development, culture plays a role in peacebuilding, security and stability, as well as building resilience to crises in fragile and conflict-affected States. This highlights the vital role that protecting culture and cultural heritage plays in the UK’s international development agenda.
The UK’s cultural heritage protection activities fall into three main strands. Links to associated documents and guidance can be found in the Links and guidance section.
Conflict and security
The conflict and security strand seeks to deliver cultural heritage protection activities that focus on stabilisation efforts, countering Daesh, peacebuilding, and sustainable growth in countries affected by conflict. This area also incorporates the UK’s obligations under the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property during Armed Conflict.
Select project examples:
Protecting priceless artefacts from looting in Iraq
Mapping at-risk traditional Syrian music
Climate vulnerability and natural disasters
Launched in 2019, the climate vulnerability and natural disasters strand delivers groundbreaking programmes on protecting cultural heritage at risk from climate change and/or natural disasters, building climate and disaster-preparedness capacity in ODA-eligible countries.
Select project examples:
Protecting ancient gods from rising water levels in Uganda
Building climate-preparedness capacity amongst heritage professionals in Africa
Pioneering laser-scanning to safeguard Indian heritage sites against earthquakes
Building Community Resilience and Adaptation to climate threats
Humanitarian action
The humanitarian action strand comprises providing emergency support for at risk/damaged cultural heritage during humanitarian crises, including providing first-response intervention following the explosion in Beirut in 2020.
Select project examples:
DCMS supports emergency recovery efforts following the 2020 Beirut explosion
Programmes
The UK’s international cultural heritage protection initiatives are delivered primarily through specialist programmes overseen by DCMS. All programmes prioritise engaging with local communities, building capacity and creating opportunities for long-term sustainable growth, ensuring diversity and inclusion remain at the forefront of programming. All programmes are aligned with the UK’s overseas development objectives and conform to strict guidelines on overseas development aid spending, achieving value for money and .
Cultural Protection Fund (DCMS/British Council) 2016 - 2022
Launched in 2016, DCMS’s flagship Cultural Protection Fund (CPF) is run in partnership with the British Council, who oversee programme delivery and development. The fund aims to help to create sustainable opportunities for economic and social development through building local capacity to foster, safeguard and promote cultural heritage, particularly in regions affected by conflict. Since 2016, over 45,000 people across the Middle East and North Africa have participated in cultural heritage protection activities via the CPF.
Recognising the urgent need to protect cultural heritage from climate change, in 2020 DCMS and the British Council launched a new climate programme as part of the CPF, the Disaster and Climate Change Mitigation funding round. Funds were awarded to five global heritage projects that respond to the risk of climate change to heritage in East Africa. The projects aim to advance regional cultural protection by supporting knowledge exchange between experts and empowering local organisations with the skills to protect their cultural heritage.
Climate Heritage Scheme (DCMS/Arts and Humanities Research Council), 2020-2022
In 2020, DCMS partnered with the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s Global Challenges Fund to run a Pilot Urgency Grants scheme. The groundbreaking scheme’s focus is responding to urgent threats to cultural heritage in low and middle countries from natural disasters and climate change. Nine cultural heritage projects working in ODA eligible countries were selected, with activities taking place in Nigeria, Tanzania, Yemen, Zimbabwe, India, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Brazil. Awarded projects cover a range of cultural heritage activities, with a strong focus on developing robust tools and prototypes to protect cultural heritage assets and community engagement.
Iraq Emergency Heritage Management Training Scheme, (DCMS/British Museum), 2016-2021
Between 2015 -2021, the British Museum received funding from DCMS to deliver the Iraq Emergency Heritage Management Training Scheme. This programme was developed in response to the widespread destruction of cultural heritage by Daesh across Iraq and Syria in 2015 and was initially run as a pilot for the Cultural Protection Fund. The Iraq scheme delivered capacity building for the Iraq State Board of Antiquities and Heritage by training its staff in a wide variety of retrieval and rescue archaeology techniques. Participants received the expertise and skills they need to document and stabilise severely disrupted and damaged heritage sites in preparation for potential reconstruction.
International engagement
G20
Minister for Digital and Culture reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to strengthen the role of culture in addressing the climate crisis at G20 Culture Ministers Meeting, held in Rome, 2021. The Minister opened the second session, and delivered a keynote speec outlining the UK’s approach to addressing the climate crisis through culture and reiterated the importance of the UKs commitment to diversity, inclusion & human rights in our cultural agenda and international cultural heritage protection programmes.
The Minister visited cultural leaders and institutions in Rome to celebrate the special cultural relationship between Italy and the UK, and committed to building new creative partnerships in the coming years. The Minister also visited the Carabinieri to see Italian expertise in policing the illicit trafficking of cultural property; met Bishop Tighe, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture, and had a tour of the Vatican Library; visited the archives and artists’ studios at the British School in Rome; met Pinewood Studios and Netflix representatives during a film screening of The Dig, and interacted with a Virtual Reality experience at the Keats–Shelley Memorial House.
COP26
On 8th November, DCMS Secretary of State, Nadine Dorries hosted the UK Pavilion panel event International Cultural Heritage, Adaptation and Resilience: From Rome to Glasgow, at the UK Pavilion on Adaptation, Loss and Damage Day.
Watch the UK Pavilion Panel here.
Annual DCMS, V&A & British Council webinars
Between June and September 2021, The British Council, The Department of Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) and the V&A partnered to produce their second interactive series of webinar events focussing on Global Heritage Perspectives. This series examines how the experiences of recent years have encouraged cultural organisations across the globe to adapt and transform in the face of global challenges and new opportunities.
Global Heritage Perspectives explores innovative approaches to cultural heritage management and stewardship; to understand and reflect on how responses to crises have been shaped over the last year. In this series we discover novel strategies that respond to crisis at scale and explore the degree to which cultural heritage can be a route to addressing environmental, economic and social issues around the world.
Latest news, press releases & articles
In 21-22, The Cultural Protection Fund has awarded more than £2.4M in follow-on grants to international partnership projects supporting vital heritage protection in the Middle East and North and East Africa.
The 20 projects already underway are fighting the growing impact of conflict or climate change on cultural heritage in Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Sudan, Syria, Uganda and Yemen.
The additional Cultural Protection Fund grants will continue to allow global experts to collaborate with international partners and communities to mitigate risk and preserve cultural heritage vital to each country’s culture and identity.
Links and guidance
The below list collates useful guidance and resources on the UK’s approach to cultural heritage protection into the three main thematic areas of DCMS’s work. For further enquiries the team can be contacted at culturalprotection@dcms.gov.uk.
Conflict and security
Guidance on the implementation of the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict - provides full guidance on the implementation of the 1954 Hague Convention
Global Britain in a Competitive Age: the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy - refer to p.49 for cultural heritage and soft power
UK Approach to Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict
Wilton Park, Cultural Heritage Protection, Development and Diplomacy: International Approaches
Climate vulnerability and natural disasters
The UK’s Adaptation Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 2020 - refer to p.25 for the Cultural Protection Fund
UNESCO-UK: 1st Report ‘Biocultural Heritage: Linking Nature and Culture’
2nd Report: Bridging the Gaps: Cultural Heritage for Climate Action - the Brief Report
FCDO Discussion paper Nov 2021: UK action to support countries to avert, minimise and address the risk of loss and damage from climate change (including cultural heritage)
Stay up-to-date
Follow DCMS social media and using the #DCMSCulturalProtection hashtag.
Contact us at culturalprotection@dcms.gov.uk
Last updated 24 November 2021 + show all updates
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Updated links
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First published.