Historical sites often face an uncertain future during conflict, but under the Rome Statute, one thing is clear: an intentionally directed attack against historical monuments or buildings dedicated to religion constitutes a war crime.

The 2016 verdict against Islamist rebel Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi for his involvement in attacks against nine UNESCO-protected religious monuments in Timbuktu, Mali was the first ICC conviction for this particular conduct – and an important step in the international community’s understanding of it as a war crime.

Noting the ICC judgment, the UN Security Council (UNSC) in 2017 adopted a resolution affirming that perpetrators of unlawful destruction of cultural heritage could be prosecuted for war crimes.

The ICC conviction and UNSC resolution have put states on notice: that the intentional destruction of cultural property is a very real trend in conflict, and that international efforts will need states’ will and cooperation to protect our cultural heritage and the identity we attach to it.