SUBMITTED TO: The General Assembly
SUBJECT: Protection of Cultural Heritage Worldwide
PROPOSED BY: The Republic of Hungary
SIGNATORIES:  Liechtenstein, Russia, United Kingdom, Marshall Islands

The General Assembly,

1)  Acting in full accordance with the purpose and principles of the UN Charter,
2)  and

3)  Affirming the equal importance of every culture's heritage to world culture,
4)  and

5)  Grieved at the proportion of harm received by many cultures, notably in
6)  regions of the world subject to wars, poverty, and other grievances, and

7)  Noting with alarm that many cultures are currently moribund, and

8)  Noting with grave concern that efforts to protect cultural heritage have on
9)  many occasions been unsuccessful, and

10)  Regretting the fact that many cultures receive little or no due aid thanks
11)  to lack of assistance from governmental and non-governmental (including
12)  international) organizations, and

13)  Bearing in mind at the same time that many governments are incapable of
14)  providing such aid, and

15)  Grieved at the fact that cultures of many nations have been subject to
16)  deliberate suppression on part of various bodies, including governmental
17)  ones, and

18)  Noting that assisting cultural heritage implies, among other things,
19)  assistance to schools, public libraries, museums, and other cultural
20)  enterprises, and

21)  Recalling its resolutions 2200A (XXI) of 16th December 1966, and 55/243 A
22)  of 9th March 2000, and all other resolutions which pertain to the
23)  preservation of cultural heritage, and

21)  Being determined to help save cultural heritage worldwide:

22)  1. Condemns any acts which may lead to damaging the cultural heritage of any
23)  people; and

24)  2. Especially condemns perpetrating deliberate acts of damage to objects of
25)  cultural significance; and

26)  3. Calls for closer cooperation of governments and non-governmental
27)  (including international) organizations with regard to assistance to
28)  cultural heritage, assigning special importance to UNESCO as to a United
29)  Nations body responsible for such actions; and

30)  4. Expresses its sincere gratitude to all governments and non-governmental
31)  (including international) organizations involved in assisting cultural
32)  heritage worldwide; and

33)  5. Encourages direct assistance by member nations to countries standing in
34)  need of such aid; and

35)  6. Expresses its deep regret over the loss of cultural heritage in regions
36)  ravaged by war, poverty, and other grievances, and in this regard:
37)   a. Appeals to all governments of countries in such regions to pay special
38)  attention to protecting cultural heritage and provide as much as aid,
39)  financial or otherwise, as circumstances will allow,
40)   b. Recommends to all governments to pay special attention to the cultural
41)  sphere with regard to helping museums, schools, public libraries, and other
42)  cultural enterprises,
43)   c. Deplores all destruction of objects of cultural importance on religious,
45)  ideological, political, economical or other grounds,
46)   d. Calls for international assistance, financial or in other form, to such
47)  regions, inasmuch as the situation in many parts of the world requires
48)  urgent attention in this regard, and
49)   e. Renews its appeal for avoiding violence in resolving conflicts so that as
50)  little harm as possible be done to cultural heritage worldwide; and

51)  7. Acknowledges that a large part of the world's cultures may be considered
52)  as minority cultures in their respective countries and in this regard:
53)   a. Expresses its appreciation of efforts by many governments to help
54)  preserve the cultures, languages, and ways of life of minority cultures in
55)  their respective countries, 
56)   b. Condemns, on the other hand, indifference to the question or direct
57)  hostility towards minorities on part of governmental organizations,
58)   c. Urges these governments to reconsider their position on the problems of
59)  ethnical, cultural, and linguistic minorities in favour of a more
60)  differentiating approach,
61)   d. Welcomes efforts of bilateral contacts on the position of particular
62)  ethnical, cultural, and linguistic minorities in a particular country, and
63)   e. Calls upon representatives of ethnical, cultural, and linguistic
64)  minorities to use such means as the laws of respective countries allow to
65)  try to gain influence on governmental policies in this regard, or, in the
66)  unfortunate case that the laws do not give them such opportunities, to seek
67)  assistance from international organizations; and

68)  8. Requests that all Member States reaffirm their commitment to, inter 
69)  alia, the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic
70)  Works; the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed
71)  Conflict in which relies the Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention for
72)  the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and
73)  the Second Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of
74)  Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict; the Convention on
75)  the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage; the Unidroit
76)  Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects; the
77)  Declaration of the Principles of International Cultural Cooperation;
78)  the Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit
79)  Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property; the
80)  Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and
81)  Natural Heritage; the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance; and the
82)  World Culture Report 2000; and

83)  9. Urges all Member States to ratify the various treaties and conventions
84)  that pertain to the preservation of culture heritage; and

85)  10. Affirms the necessity of cultural awareness, and in this regard welcomes
86)  implementation of special educational programs, international exhibitions, 
87)  and other forms of cultural exchange and promoting cultural diversity; and

88)  11. Resolves to remain seized upon the subject.