UNESCO calls for ban in trade in Haitian artifacts
30.01.2010 18:35 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ UNESCO Director General has written to the
Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, asking for his
support in preventing the dispersion of Haiti’s cultural heritage.

`I would be most grateful if you would request Mr John Holmes, your
Special Envoy for Haiti and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian
affairs, as well as the relevant authorities in charge of the overall
coordination of UN humanitarian support in Port-au-Prince – the UN
Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) and the Department of Peace
Keeping Operations (DPKO) – to ensure, as far as possible, the
immediate security of the sites containing these artifacts,’ Bokova
writes.
She also appealed to U.N. Secretary-General for security forces to
protect Haitian heritage sites and urged a Security Council resolution
temporarily banning trade in Haitian cultural property , to be
monitored by Interpol.

"This heritage is an invaluable source of identity and pride for the
people on the island and will be essential to the success of their
national reconstruction," she said in a statement.

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations
established on 16 November 1945. Its stated purpose is to contribute
to peace and security by promoting international collaboration through
education, science, and culture in order to further universal respect
for justice, the rule of law, and thehuman rights and fundamental
freedoms proclaimed in the UN Charter. t is the heir of the League of
Nations’ International Commission on Intellectual Cooperation.

UNESCO has 193 Member States and seven Associate Members. The
organization is based in Paris, with over 50 field offices and many
specialized institutes and centres throughout the world. Most of the
field offices are "cluster" offices covering three or more countries;
there are also national and regional offices. UNESCO pursues its
objectives through five major programs: education, natural sciences,
social and human sciences, culture, and communication and information.
Projects sponsored by UNESCO include literacy, technical, and
teacher-training programmes; international science programmes; the
promotion of independent media and freedom of the press; regional and
cultural historyprojects, the promotion of cultural diversity;
international cooperation agreements to secure the world cultural and
natural heritage (World Heritage Sites) and to preserve human rights;
and attempts to bridge the worldwide digital divide.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress