Monuments under attack : from protection to securitisation

Attacks on cultural heritage are not new. Cultural heritage has always been endangered by wars, conflicts and political violence. Historical artefacts, monuments, museums, archaeological sites and libraries have been destroyed, either as collateral damage in military operations or as deliberate targets of insurgents, criminals and terrorists. In the latter case, the purposes of such destruction range from exploiting the strategic position of historical buildings, to financing further operations by looting and smuggling antiquities, and erasing symbols of collective identities and memories. The proclamation of the global caliphate by the jihadist militias of the Islamic State (IS), which controls an extensive territory containing several world heritage sites, has opened a new phase in the plunder of such sites. Not only there has been an increase in the number of destructive actions but also film footage of the events has been broadcasted worldwide as part of IS propaganda, triggering different reactions from a number of states as well as regional and international organisations. Drawing on the construction of security in contemporary international politics as elaborated by the Copenhagen School approach and its further developments, this paper aims to show the increasing “securitisation” of cultural heritage and to explore its implications