ABSTRACT
The 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its Protocols clearly outline the responsibility of state parties to include cultural property considerations in military training and operations. As of this writing the treaty has more than 130 member nations. However, military involvement in rescuing cultural heritage during response to natural disasters varies widely around the world, depending on national disaster frameworks and policies. In some countries as well as in international humanitarian relief operations, cultural heritage is largely ignored during disaster response and comes into play only during recovery, usually when military intervention is already winding down. International humanitarian relief operations involving military may be limited to saving lives and relieving human suffering. But there is an increasing recognition that saving people can and should include saving their cultural heritage as it contributes to faster post-disaster recovery. This chapter addresses current postures and operational capabilities of various military organisations responding to natural disasters both domestically and during international humanitarian relief missions. The author proposes that help for cultural heritage in disaster preparedness and response frameworks, including military assistance, increases national and human security while speeding recovery and building long-term resilience.
