Extradition (Protocol to The Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict) Order 2018

• Jurisdiction: Ireland
• Citation: IR SI 301/2018

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 3rd August, 2018.

WHEREAS by the Protocol to the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict done at The Hague on 26 March 1999 (referred to subsequently in these recitals as “the Protocol”, the terms of which are set out in Schedule 1 to this Order) an arrangement was made with other countries that are parties to that Protocol for the surrender of persons wanted for prosecution or punishment for the offences specified therein;

AND WHEREAS the State acceded to the Protocol on 17 May 2018;

AND WHEREAS the Protocol has also been ratified, or acceded to, by the countries, places and territories specified in that regard in Part A of Schedule 2 to this Order, subject to the reservations entered and the declarations made by certain countries concerned specified in Part B of said Schedule 2;

I, SIMON COVENEY, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 8 (as amended by section 57 of the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005 (No. 3 of 2005), section 49 of the European Arrest Warrant Act 2003 (No. 45 of 2003) and section 23 of the Extradition (European Union Conventions) Act, 2001 (No. 49 of 2001)) of the Extradition Act 1965 (No. 17 of 1965) (as adapted by the Foreign Affairs (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2011 ( S.I. No. 246 of 2011 )), and after consultation with the Minister for Justice and Equality, hereby order as follows:

1. (1) This Order may be cited as the Extradition (Protocol to The Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict) Order 2018.

(2) This Order comes into operation on 17 August 2018.

2. Part II of the Extradition Act 1965 (No. 17 of 1965) shall apply in relation to the countries, places and territories set out in Part A of Schedule 2, other than a Member State designated by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade under section 3 of the European Arrest Warrant 2003 (No. 45 of 2003) (as adapted by the Foreign Affairs (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2011 ( S.I. No. 246 of 2011 )), subject to the declarations and reservations specified in Part B of Schedule 2.

SCHEDULE 1

Protocol to Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, supplementing the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict

The Parties,

Conscious of the need to improve the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict and to establish an enhanced system of protection for specifically designated cultural property;

Reaffirming the importance of the provisions of the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, done at The Hague on 14 May 1954, and emphasizing the necessity to supplement these provisions through measures to reinforce their implementation;

Desiring to provide the High Contracting Parties to the Convention with a means of being more closely involved in the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict by establishing appropriate procedures therefor;

Considering that the rules governing the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict should reflect developments in international law;

Affirming that the rules of customary international law will continue to govern questions not regulated by the provisions of this Protocol;

Have agreed as follows:

Chapter 1

Introduction

Article 1

Definitions

For the purposes of this Protocol:

(a)“Party” means a State Party to this Protocol;

(b)“cultural property” means cultural property as defined in Article 1 of the Convention;

(c)“Convention” means the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, done at The Hague on 14 May 1954;

(d)“High Contracting Party” means a State Party to the Convention;

(e)“enhanced protection” means the system of enhanced protection established by Articles 10 and 11;

(f)“military objective” means an object which by its nature, location, purpose, or use makes an effective contribution to military action and whose total or partial destruction, capture or neutralisation, in the circumstances ruling at the time, offers a definite military advantage;

(g)“illicit” means under compulsion or otherwise in violation of the applicable rules of the domestic law of the occupied territory or of international law;

(h)“List” means the International List of Cultural Property under Enhanced Protection established in accordance with Article 27, sub-paragraph 1(b);

(i)“Director-General” means the Director-General of UNESCO;

(j)“UNESCO” means the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization;

(k)“First Protocol” means the Protocol for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict done at The Hague on 14 May 1954.

Article 2

Relation to the Convention

This Protocol supplements the Convention in relations between the Parties.

Article 3

Scope of application

1. In addition to the provisions which shall apply in time of peace, this Protocol shall apply in situations referred to in Article 18 paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Convention and in Article 22 paragraph 1.

2. When one of the parties to an armed conflict is not bound by this Protocol, the Parties to this Protocol shall remain bound by it in their mutual relations. They shall furthermore be bound by this Protocol in relation to a State party to the conflict which is not bound by it, if the latter accepts the provisions of this Protocol and so long as it applies them.

Article 4

Relationship between Chapter 3 and other provisions of the Convention and this Protocol

The application of the provisions of Chapter 3 of this Protocol is without prejudice to:

(a) the application of the provisions of Chapter I of the Convention and of Chapter 2 of this Protocol;

(b) the application of the provisions of Chapter II of the Convention save that, as between Parties to this Protocol or as between a Party and a State which accepts and applies this Protocol in accordance with Article 3 paragraph 2, where cultural property has been granted both special protection and enhanced protection, only the provisions of enhanced protection shall apply.

Chapter 2

General provisions regarding protection

Article 5

Safeguarding of cultural property

Preparatory measures taken in time of peace for the safeguarding of cultural property against the foreseeable effects of an armed conflict pursuant to Article 3 of the Convention shall include, as appropriate, the preparation of inventories, the planning of emergency measures for protection against fire or structural collapse, the preparation for the removal of movable cultural property or the provision for adequate in situ protection of such property, and the designation of competent authorities responsible for the safeguarding of cultural property.

Article 6

Respect for cultural property

With the goal of ensuring respect for cultural property in accordance with Article 4 of the Convention:

(a) a waiver on the basis of imperative military necessity pursuant to Article 4 paragraph 2 of the Convention may only be invoked to direct an act of hostility against cultural property when and for as long as:

(i) that cultural property has, by its function, been made into a military objective; and

(ii) there is no feasible alternative available to obtain a similar military advantage to that offered by directing an act of hostility against that objective;

(b) a waiver on the basis of imperative military necessity pursuant to Article 4 paragraph 2 of the Convention may only be invoked to use cultural property for purposes which are likely to expose it to destruction or damage when and for as long as no choice is possible between such use of the cultural property and another feasible method for obtaining a similar military advantage;

decision to invoke imperative military necessity shall only be taken by an officer commanding a force the equivalent of a battalion in size or larger, or a force smaller in size where circumstances do not permit otherwise;

(d) in case of an attack based on a decision taken in accordance with sub-paragraph (a), an effective advance warning shall be given whenever circumstances permit.

Article 7

Precautions in attack

Without prejudice to other precautions required by international humanitarian law in the conduct of military operations, each Party to the conflict shall:

(a) do everything feasible to verify that the objectives to be attacked are not cultural property protected under Article 4 of the Convention;

(b) take all feasible precautions in the choice of means and methods of attack with a view to avoiding, and in any event to minimizing, incidental damage to cultural property protected under Article 4 of the Convention;

(c) refrain from deciding to launch any attack which may be expected to cause incidental damage to cultural property protected under Article 4 of the Convention which would be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated; and

(d) cancel or suspend an attack if it becomes apparent:

(i) that the objective is cultural property protected under Article 4 of the Convention;

(ii) that the attack may be expected to cause incidental damage to cultural property protected under Article 4 of the Convention which would be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated.

Article 8

Precautions against the effects of hostilities

The Parties to the conflict shall, to the maximum extent feasible:

(a) remove movable cultural property from the vicinity of military objectives or provide for adequate in situ protection;

(b) avoid locating military objectives near cultural...