Armenian Foreign Ministry published Yerevan Declaration of the 8th Ministerial Meeting of the Ancient Civilizations Forum.
The Foreign Ministers and their alternates of the member States of the Ancient Civilizations Forum, the Republic of Armenia, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, the People’s Republic of China, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Hellenic Republic, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Iraq, the Italian Republic and the Republic of Peru, held the 8th Ministerial Meeting of the Ancient Civilizations Forum on 18 December 2024 in Yerevan, the Republic of Armenia. The meeting was chaired by H.E. Mr. Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia.
The Ministers:
Reaffirming the commitments enshrined in the Athens Declaration (2017) establishing the Forum and the Declaration of Tiwanaku (2018), the Beijing Declaration (2019); the Declaration of the Lima Forum of Ancient Civilizations (2020); the outcome of the fifth virtual ministerial meeting hosted by Peru (2021), the Baghdad Declaration (2022), the Tehran Declaration (2023);
Recalling the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict of 14 May 1954 and its Protocols of 14 May 1954 and 26 March 1999, the Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property of 14 November 1970, the Convention concerning the protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage of 16 November 1972, the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, and encouraging collaborative efforts towards that end, demonstrating the Forum's commitment to international cultural cooperation;
Taking note of the designation by the General Assembly of June 10 as the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations and acknowledging the valuable role of the Ancient Civilizations Forum in promoting greater understanding and respect among civilizations, culture, religions and beliefs, and in this regard, encouraging all relevant parties, including the Ancient Civilizations Forum, to commemorate the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations through educational and public awareness-raising activities;
Stressing their determination to strengthen the Ancient Civilizations Forum as an intergovernmental platform for cooperation in the field of intercultural dialogue, protection and promotion of their cultural heritage and advancing a culture of peace and non-violence;
Emphasizing that the 70th anniversary of The Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (1954) and the 25th anniversary of its Protocol creates a momentum to consolidate and scale-up the efforts of the international community to ensure the protection and preservation of cultural heritage in times of armed conflicts and in peacetime;
Underscoring that damage to cultural property belonging to any people whatsoever means damage to the cultural heritage of all mankind;
Deploring and condemning the destruction, desecration, appropriation and denial of identity of the cultural heritage, inter alia destruction of religious sites and artefacts, as well as the looting and smuggling of cultural property in the event of armed conflicts;
Emphasizing that the destruction of cultural heritage and the attempts to deny historical roots and cultural diversity can fuel and exacerbate conflict, thereby undermining the security, stability, governance, social, economic and cultural development of affected States, realization of human rights, in particular cultural rights;
Expressing concern on the adverse impacts of climate change, extreme weather conditions, natural disasters on the preservation of cultural heritage;
Underlining the significant role of new technologies in the monitoring, preservation and restoration of cultural heritage;
Welcoming the actions undertaken by the UNESCO within its mandate to safeguard and preserve cultural heritage in peril and actions for the protection of culture and the promotion of cultural pluralism in the event of armed conflict;
Expressing appreciation for the ongoing efforts of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations in promoting a culture of peace and non-violence in collaboration with Governments, international organizations, civil society organizations, including women’s organizations, youth, philanthropists, religious leaders, faith-based organizations, academia as well as media and the private sector;
Emphasized the need to strengthen the cooperation aimed at protecting and promoting the historical and cultural heritage of their peoples, as the common legacy of the whole mankind;
Stressed the importance of introducing effective national measures in accordance with obligations and commitments under international law and national legislation, to prevent and counter trafficking in cultural property and related offences and facilitate the restitution of cultural artefacts;
Encouraged member States to cooperate with the UNESCO in the field of monitoring, assessing and preserving the endangered cultural heritage;
Called upon the international organizations and specialized agencies to promote and expand programmatic activities aimed at preservation of the intangible cultural heritage of the displaced populations;
Agreed to expand cooperation on protection and preservation of cultural heritage through the use of new technologies and innovation, including information and communication technologies and Artificial intelligence;
Welcomed the adoption of the Political Declaration at the Tenth Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, held in Cascais, Portugal, on 25-27 November 2024;
Encouraged international organizations and specialized agencies, including the Secretariats of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UNESCO in cooperation with their Member States to enhance their activities aimed at protecting cultural heritage from the adverse effects of climate change and extreme weather conditions;
Agreed to undertake the following measures to strengthen the capacities of the Ancient Civilizations Forum and raise its visibility in the international fora:
8.1 To consider ways to enhance continuity and operational efficiency of the Ancient Civilizations Forum;
8.2 To create a network of focal points with the aim to ensure coordination and coherence of the activities of the Ancient Civilization Forum;
8.3 To consider establishing a website to further keep and enhance the institutional memory of the Ancient Civilization Forum;
8.4 To jointly promote members’ shared priorities within the UNESCO through collaborative initiatives and consultations;
8.5 To consider creation of a group of friends within the UNESCO for the purpose of concerted initiatives and joint consultations;
8.6 To consider joint statements and initiatives at the UNESCO General Conferences and Executive Board sessions, as well as UNESCO other intergovernmental bodies with relative mandates, at the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) annual meetings and other relevant international organizations and platforms on the matters of common interest with a view to amplify the Forum's voice on global platforms;
8.7 To encourage exchanges and cooperation by Forum’s member States in the protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage, in particular through promoting joint applications of the Forum’s member States within the UNESCO for inclusion of cultural practices of member states in the Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage, showcasing the richness of diverse traditions;
8.8 To collaboratively participate in other relevant UNESCO events to share expertise and showcase collective achievements;
8.9 To explore opportunities for joint archaeological excavations and cultural heritage preservation projects among member states, especially in regions with shared historical and cultural ties;
8.10 To consider cooperation within the World Tourism Organization to jointly promote cultural and spiritual tourism by leveraging shared historical and cultural heritage, with the aim of boosting cultural exchanges, encouraging sustainable tourism practices, and fostering mutual understanding through the promotion of diverse cultural sites and experiences;
8.11 To develop joint spiritual tourism initiatives that highlight the unique religious heritage of member states and promote sustainable tourism practices;
8.12 To implement sustainable tourism practices to minimize the environmental impact of spiritual tourism activities and preserve the authenticity of religious sites;
8.13 To encourage joint investment to create virtual tours and online databases of religious sites, providing remote access to pilgrims and researchers;
8.14 To encourage joint investment in infrastructure development around religious sites, such as roads, transportation, and accommodation facilities[*];
8.15 To develop criteria for new membership procedures and observer status, to be agreed upon by consensus, fostering inclusivity and diversity within the Forum, while welcoming the membership of new countries in the Ancient Civilizations Forum;
8.16 To establish a network of cultural heritage experts from Member States to share information and best practices in combating illicit trafficking of cultural property, demonstrating the Forum's commitment to international cultural cooperation;
8.17 To organize capacity-building workshops and training programs for heritage professionals in member states, focusing on topics such as conservation, restoration, and museum management;
8.18 To promote joint research endeavors on cultural heritage, leveraging the expertise of academic circles from member countries to deepen understanding and promote cultural exchange;
8.19 To collaborate on digitalization projects to preserve and promote cultural heritage, including the creation of virtual museums and online databases;
8.20 To consider creation of platforms to engage youth from Member States, fostering dialogue, cross-cultural understanding and youth initiatives promoting culture of peace and heritage protection.
Emphasized the important role of civil society and other relevant stakeholders, including non-governmental organizations, national human rights institutions, religious leaders and faith-based organizations, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, women’s organizations, youth, media, private sector and academia in promoting the values of culture of peace and non-violence, tolerance, non-discrimination and respect for religious and cultural diversity and cultural rights;
Condemned the destruction of cultural and heritage sites resulting from the ongoing conflicts.
The Ministers thanked the Islamic Republic of Iran for hosting the 7th Ministerial Meeting of the Ancient Civilizations Forum. They also thanked the Republic of Armenia for hosting the 8th Ministerial Meeting of the Ancient Civilizations Forum.
The Ministers welcomed the announcement of the readiness of the Hellenic Republic to assume the presidency of the Forum in 2025 and to host the 9th Ministerial Meeting and unanimously endorsed it.
[*] The People’s Republic of China disassociates from consensus with regard to the paragraphs 8.10-8.14 of the Declaration.
