On October 28-29, Yerevan hosted the International Meeting on the Protection and Restoration of Cultural Heritage with New and Emerging Technologies, dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and the 25th anniversary of its 1999 Second Protocol.

The meeting gathered nearly 40 eminent experts from abroad, along with representatives of international intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, including senior officials from UNESCO, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), the Blue Shield, the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH), Europa Nostra, the World Monuments Fund (WMF), the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT), and the International Centre on Space Technologies for Natural and Cultural Heritage (UNESCO HIST).

During the plenary session of the International Meeting, participants discussed the challenges in implementing the provisions of the 1954 Hague Convention and its 1999 Second Protocol, along with pathways to address these issues. The need for comprehensive implementation of these key legal documents to protect Armenian cultural heritage in the region was touched upon.

In the following panel discussion, new perspectives in the field of cultural heritage protection through emerging technologies and innovative solutions were explored.

The second-day discussion of the Meeting was held at the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, during which the participants discussed the practical possibilities and recorded achievements of the application of advanced technologies - such as digitization, 3D scanning, satellite imaging, and AI - for the preservation of cultural values.

During the event, the international guests had the opportunity to get acquainted with the latest technological opportunities available in Matenadaran and TUMO for the purpose of cultural heritage preservation and the best practices of Armenian specialists.

In his concluding remarks, Davit Knyazyan, Secretary General of the Armenian National Commission for UNESCO, reiterated Armenia’s steadfast commitment to continuously contribute to strengthening international legal mechanisms for cultural heritage protection, including the 1954 Hague Convention to effectively address and prevent cases of heritage destruction.