Protection of Cultural Property in the event of Armed Conflict (Hague Convention) Act 2017

Definitions

1. In this Act—

“Convention” means the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, done at The Hague on 14 May 1954, the text of which is set out in Schedule 1 ;

“cultural property”, irrespective of origin or ownership, means—

(a) movable or immovable property of great importance to the cultural heritage of every people, including:

(i) monuments of architecture, art or history, whether religious or secular;

(ii) archaeological sites;

(iii) groups of buildings which, as a whole, are of historical or artistic interest;

(iv) works of art;

(v) manuscripts, books and other objects of artistic, historical or archaeological interest;

(vi) scientific collections and important collections of books or archives or of reproductions of the property defined above,

(b) buildings whose main and effective purpose is to preserve or exhibit the movable cultural property referred to in paragraph (a), including:

(i) museums;

(ii) large libraries and depositories of archives; and

(iii) refuges intended to shelter, in the event of armed conflict, the movable cultural property referred to in paragraph (a),

and

(c) centres containing a large amount of cultural property as defined in paragraphs (a) and (b);

“cultural property under enhanced protection” means cultural property to which the status of enhanced protection has been granted in accordance with the system established by the Protocol;

“Minister”, other than in section 8 , means the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade;

“Protocol” means the Protocol to the Convention done at The Hague on 26 March 1999, the text of which is set out in Schedule 2 .