The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities adopted on 15 October 2024 a Declaration on the destruction of cultural heritage in Ukraine, presented by Martine Dieschburg-Nickels (Luxembourg, L, ILDG) and Gunn-Marit Helgesen (Norway, R, EPP/CCE).
The Congress reiterated its condemnation of the ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine and reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders.
It deplored the Russian Federation's continued attacks on cultural heritage sites in Ukraine, in violation of international humanitarian law, and in particular of the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (1954 Hague Convention) and its two Protocols. Noting that more than a thousand cultural sites had been damaged or destroyed since the beginning of the war, the Congress underlined that the targeting and looting of cultural sites appeared to reflect a systematic policy aimed at erasing Ukraine's historical and cultural identity, consistent with a genocidal intent.
The Declaration emphasised that the Russian Federation must pay reparations for damage to historical, cultural and religious heritage; in this context, the Ukrainian local and regional authorities had an important role to play in promoting the work of the Register of Damage and in submitting claims to the Register within the scope of their competencies.
The Congress stressed that safeguarding cultural heritage helped connect the past to the future through a shared sense of identity and that as such the European cultural heritage was intrinsically linked to human rights; it was therefore time to put Ukrainian cultural heritage and its recovery high on the political agenda, including at the 2025 Ukraine Recovery Conference to be held in Rome.
In its Declaration, the Congress called on local and regional authorities throughout Europe to step up their efforts to help Ukraine by setting up genuine cultural heritage partnerships that could address not only the current need for restoration and urgent protection but also damage and risk assessments. Such partnerships could also support plans for recovery, which should encompass tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
The Congress also called on member States to sign and ratify the Council of Europe Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society (Faro Convention) and the Council of Europe Convention on Offences to Cultural Property (Nicosia Convention), as well as to raise awareness about stolen and looted Ukrainian cultural assets, including from Crimea, and to step up efforts to return them to Ukraine.
Congress members reiterated that they stand by the Ukrainian people and reaffirmed their commitment to a common, democratic future based on respect for international law and a just peace.
