[wanabidii] Press Releases: U.S. Support for the United Nations Arria-formula Meeting on the Destruction, Smuggling, and Theft of Cultural Heritage

You are subscribed to Press Releases for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Press Releases: U.S. Support for the United Nations Arria-formula Meeting on the Destruction, Smuggling, and Theft of Cultural Heritage 04/27/2015 05:35 PM EDT U.S. Support for the United Nations Arria-formula Meeting on the Destruction, Smuggling, and Theft of Cultural Heritage Press Statement Jeff Rathke Acting Deputy Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC April 27, 2015 We welcome today’s Arria-formula briefing on cultural heritage at the United Nations to raise awareness about ISIL’s barbarous destruction of cultural heritage sites and theft of ancient artifacts in Iraq and Syria, as well as to foster discussion about how to address this crisis. The heritage of the Middle East region is the heritage of all humanity. Since last June we have seen ISIL wantonly destroy irreplaceable sites such as the tomb of Jonah and 3,000 year-old Assyrian and Parthian sculptures at Nimrud, as well as systematically burn an estimated 10,000 books and manuscripts at the Mosul Central Library. It is our common responsibility to ensure that future generations are not robbed of their connections to the past. Thus we welcome discussions led by UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and INTERPOL Secretary-General Jurgen Stock and thank the French and Jordanian missions for hosting the briefing. We join other Member States in voicing our strong support for Director-General Bokova’s efforts to protect cultural heritage, including through UNESCO’s efforts to assist in the implementation of the relevant provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 2199. The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein. Stay connected with the State Department:       External links found in this content or on Department of State websites that go to other non-Department websites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.  Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please visit subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com. This service is provided to you at no charge by U.S. Department of State. This email was sent to wanabidii@googlegroups.com using GovDelivery, on behalf of: U.S. Department of State · 2201 C Street NW · Washington, DC 20520