UNESCO highlights culture protection in Haiti reconstruction

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Thursday highlighted the importance of salvage of culture heritages in Haiti's reconstruction, saying culture should be an integral part in humanitarian aid.

"Culture must go hand in hand with humanitarian aid. It must be present in Haiti's reconstruction strategies because culture and development are closely linked," UNESCO Director-general Irina Bokova said in a press release summarizing her two-day official visit to the Caribbean nation hit by a devastating earthquake on Jan. 12.

She visited several national heritages and met with the Haitian culture minister and local officials before leaving on Wednesday.

"We are aware that emergency humanitarian aid is not the only appropriate response to the country's needs and that your know-how and your traditions must be taken into account in the reconstruction effort," said Bokova while reiterating UNESCO's commitment to safeguarding Haiti heritage.

Additionally, she called on international missions to protect " the country's historical sites and monuments from the threat of vandalism and illicit trade in art objects and other cultural property."

UNESCO has provided emergency funding to undertake protective actions for endangered documentary items. This fund will be used to relocate endangered documents and paper works in Haiti's National Archives and National Library and to save important documents that are still under ruins.

"Considerable quantities of important documents are still under the rubble and with the start of the rainy season these will be permanently lost if not placed in watertight storage," UNESCO said in a separate statement, calling for more international aid to the salvage effort.

Source: Xinhua