The topic of Confronting Complexity in Preservation of Cultural Property: Monuments, Art, Antiquities, Archives, and History is pertinent, because cultural property throughout world is constantly threatened by a large variety of factors ranging from armed conflicts and natural disasters different peacetime human activities which, regrettably, do not take into account need safeguard and respect it. My remarks are divided into three parts: In first part, I will discuss 2003 UNESCO Declaration Concerning Intentional Destruction of Cultural Heritage (the Declaration); then I will cover issue of sanctions under 1954 Hague Convention for Protection of Cultural Property in Event of Armed Conflict (the Hague Convention) and its Second Protocol; finally, I will compare protection provided by Hague Convention and its Second Protocol with that provided under 1972 World Heritage Convention. Let me start with 2003 UNESCO Declaration Concerning Intentional Destruction of Cultural It is a legal instrument aimed at protecting cultural heritage including that linked natural sites both in peacetime and wartime, and it was unanimously adopted by 32 C/Resolution 33 of thirty-second session of General Conference of UNESCO. (1) In March 2001, international community helplessly witnessed destruction of Buddhas of Bamiyan--an enormous tragedy that impoverished cultural and spiritual heritage not only of Afghanistan, but of all humanity. (2) This mindless act of destruction took place despite massive efforts by international community including United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) persuade Taliban regime not destroy statues. (3) As a reaction destruction of Buddhas, Executive Board of UNESCO adopted at its one hundred and sixty-first session (Paris, May 28-June 13, 2001) 161 EX/Decision 3.1.1 (III) which, among other things, resolutely condemned the acts of destruction committed against historical and cultural monuments, in particular in Afghanistan, described by Director-General as crimes against culture' and invited Member States tirelessly pursue their efforts ensure full application of principles of Convention for Protection of Cultural Property in Event of Armed Conflict (The Hague, 1954), Convention on Means of Prohibiting and Preventing Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (1970), Convention for Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972) and other relevant international legal instruments. The decision finally resolved include item Acts constituting a crime against common heritage of in agenda of its 162rid session and in provisional agenda of 31st session of UNESCO's General Conference. (4) The issue of acts constituting a crime against common heritage of humanity was further discussed during one hundred and sixty-second session of Executive Board of UNESCO (Paris, Oct. 2-31, 2001) and thirty-first session of General Conference of UNESCO (Paris, Oct. 15-Nov. 3, 2001). The latter considered this issue extensively and adopted 31 C/Resolution 26 on Acts constituting a crime against common heritage of (5) which, among other things, invited Director-General to formulate, for 32nd session of General Conference, a Draft Declaration concerning Intentional Destruction of Cultural Heritage. Let me take this opportunity explain that in UNESCO's standard-setting terminology, conventions are international legally binding instruments defining rules that, not binding ex se, except for those states which accept, accede, approve, ratify, or succeed them. They are adopted by a two-thirds majority of states which attend General Conference of UNESCO. …