DCMS's International Cultural Heritage Protection Programme

Question

Accepted Answer

World Monuments Fund© Syrian Stonemasonry Training Scheme Project; Stonemasonry student undertaking training at Mafraq, Jordan.

Introduction

The UK is a world leader and innovator in cultural heritage protection, both tangible and intangible, 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 the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has worked with partners including the British Council, the Arts and Humanities Research Council, UNESCO, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the British Museum to deliver cultural heritage projects in ODA eligible countries across the Middle East, North Africa, East Africa, Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe.

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.

Objectives

Through a portfolio of delivery partners, the International Cultural Heritage Protection (ICHP) Programme works across 4 integrated themes to ensure the protection of cultural heritage: conflict and security, climate change, serious and organised crime, and research.

Conflict and security

The conflict and security strand seeks to deliver cultural heritage protection activities that focus on stabilisation efforts, 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 and its Two Protocols (1954 and 1999).

Climate change

Launched in 2019, the climate change strand delivers groundbreaking programmes on protecting cultural heritage at risk from climate change and/or natural disasters, building climate resilience and disaster-preparedness capacity in ODA-eligible countries.

Serious and organised crime

The illicit trafficking of cultural objects by serious and organised crime (SOC) actors is intrinsically linked with conflict and climate insecurity. The ICHP Programme works with delivery partners to build capacities of key stakeholders in ODA eligible countries to help detect and mitigate the trafficking of cultural property, while also contributing to the improvement of investigative capabilities and cross-country communication.

Research

Established in 2020, our research strand focuses specifically on funding exploratory projects which further our understanding of the connection between cultural heritage protection and climate change. The ICHP Programme fosters a strong connection with researchers to enhance DCMS’s policy development in this field.

Delivery partners

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 ensuring the promotion of the economic development and welfare of developing countries by safeguarding cultural heritage at risk.

The British Council - Cultural Protection Fund 2016-2026

Safina© An Ark for Iraq project; Cane Canoe on the water at a boat workshop.

Launched in 2016, DCMS’s flagship Cultural Protection Fund (CPF) is delivered 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. It currently operates across the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Since 2016, the Cultural Protection Fund has given grants of over £50 million to 159 projects to protect cultural heritage in 19 countries, but the need for our work has never been greater. Last year alone we received funding requests of almost 20 times the budget for our entire current programme.

Stephanie Grant, Director of the Cultural Protection Fund at the British Council (2024)

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 5 global heritage projects that respond to the risk of climate change to heritage in East Africa. The projects aimed to advance regional cultural protection by supporting knowledge exchange between experts and empowering local organisations with the skills to protect their cultural heritage.

In May 2024, the CPF announced funding of 22 new projects, across 10 countries, with a funding total of over £2 million. The projects will protect cultural heritage at risk from the effects of conflict and/or climate change. The funding will support projects across Syria, Iraq, Kenya, Sudan, Ethiopia, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Uganda, Tanzania and for the first time, Pakistan and Nepal, with the latter 2 being new additions to the CPF’s country portfolio.

Read more about the fund

UNESCO Cultural Protection Funds

The ICHP Programme has an annual contingency to contribute directly to emergency support for at-risk/damaged cultural heritage during humanitarian crises. Over the last four years, The ICHP Programme has made a significant contribution of £1,500,000 to UNESCO cultural protection funds. These are the Heritage Emergency Funds, the UNESCO Fund for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and Response activities for Gaza, the UNESCO Special Account for Post Crisis Situations to respond to the crisis in Ukraine, the UNESCO Special Account for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and the Fund for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. UNESCO is responsible for the delivery of said emergency response projects.

Historic England: UK-Ukraine 100 Year Partnership: Cultural Heritage Project

In 2025, ICHP partnered with Historic England to provide funding up to £800,000 for a four year project to facilitate training and educational exchanges for cultural professionals for the protection, preservation and restoration of Ukrainian cultural heritage that has been endangered by Russian aggression. This project will be delivered in consultation with key Ukrainian stakeholders to ensure it aligns with the needs of the sector.

Read more about the UK-Ukraine 100 Year Partnership

Arts and Humanities Research Council: Cultural Heritage and Climate Programme 2020-2026

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 centred on projects exploring how developing countries respond to the challenges for cultural heritage resulting from environmental disasters and climate change.

Originating from a cohort of 9 projects, the programme has generated research outputs and policy impacts, through 30 partners, for communities across 12 ODA countries, including Nigeria, Tanzania, Yemen, Zimbabwe, India, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Brazil. A future expansive phase will create a global Research Observatory, coordinating cultural heritage voices in international climate discussions.

In 2024, the Cultural Heritage and Climate Programme funded five research projects to mitigate climate change and build capacity for climate action. The projects will examine cultural heritage and environmental policies in countries including:

India
Indonesia
Jordan
Brazil

This programme is continuing in 2025 and 2026 to fund new networks of UK institutions working with European partners, in-country partners in ODA countries, community practitioners, researchers, and policymakers for 12 months. These grants will help researchers and policymakers to explore opportunities to enhance cultural heritage and climate change engagement and policy development.