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“If we refuse to learn, embrace and safeguard our culture heritage, our literature will become incomprehensible, our works of arts silent and our traditions meaningless. Our culture allows us to become ourselves, to develop and create” – was pointed out in the Safeguarding Cultural Heritage international scientific conference, which aimed to explore the many different dimensions of the protection of cultural heritage and to discuss its current and future challenges.
Renowned and respected speakers from eight different countries covering several legal cultures discussed the role of legal regulation in safeguarding cultural heritage, and also whether legal values and achievements are part of the culture of a community or a country.
In his opening speech, Lénárd Sándor, Head of the School of Law and Center for International Law of MCC emphasized the importance of the temporal dimension of cultural heritage, which serve as the major source of identity for a community. He stressed that the culture we inherit does not restrict us, but on the contrary, allows us to become ourselves, to be able to develop and create. The values and achievements of the law are also part of our cultural heritage, as he said: “without a cultural background, law is just a pile of rules.”
One of the keynote speakers of the conference, Professor László Trócsányi, Rector of the Károli Gáspár University, emphasized that the importance of constitutional values and identity is particularly important in the light of the centralizing aspirations of the European integration. He stressed that “national and European identity must be preserved at the same time.” Therefore, he concluded, the European cooperation shall adopt an institutional framework that could guarantee the constitutional identities of European nations as well as the European diversity.
The other keynote speaker of the conference, Professor Keun-Gwan Lee, Member of the UN International Law Commission, highlighted the diversity of cultural heritage, stressing that it includes both tangible and intangible cultural goods and assets. This diversity reflects the history of a community, and its protection is therefore of paramount importance in the face of the challenges of the 21st century.
The conference panel discussions addressed the cultural aspect of constitutional values and identity on the one hand, and the endangered cultural heritage and goods on the other. The threats posed to cultural heritage by armed conflicts or climate change were discussed, as well as the different methods that regulations and mechanisms of international institutions can ensure protection. The last panel discussion of the conference looked at the impact and importance of business and business regulation on cultural heritage, highlighting examples such as the British piers, Swiss cheese and Hungarian wine...
