Portraits of Dr. Ghassan Salamé, Minister of Culture of Lebanon, and Dr. Khaled El-Enany, Director-General of UNESCO.

 

Source/Credit: National News Agency Lebanon (NNA)

Summary:
The Lebanese Minister of Culture, Ghassan Salameh, contacted Khaled El-Enany, Director-General of UNESCO, requesting intervention to ensure the protection of Lebanon’s cultural heritage amid the current security situation.

The request calls on neighboring or belligerent states to respect international conventions protecting cultural property and to refrain from targeting heritage sites, including the National Museum of Beirut, archaeological sites, and properties inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List or under enhanced protection.

The Minister emphasized that safeguarding these sites is required under international frameworks, including the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. A formal letter was also sent to UNESCO reiterating Lebanon’s request.