The DPC is not alone in recognizing and responding to the pain and distress of civilians caught in the violent conflict in Gaza, both Israeli and Palestinian. We have watched with compassion and horror the growing humanitarian crises and the many personal tragedies which have unfolded. We condemn atrocities whoever has committed them, and we are moved by scenes of unimaginable suffering to call for a complete cessation of violence.
The DPC's mandate – a sustainable future for our digital assets – compels us to have a particular concern to ensure the preservation of the digital cultural and scientific record. We are therefore profoundly distressed by reports of the destruction of the Central Archives of Gaza, of the main public library of Gaza, of the displacement of staff who manage and preserve the cultural and scientific heritage of the region, and of the suffering inflicted on them and their families.
Drawing on our own mandate, we add our voice to those of ICA, IFLA, UNESCO, ICOM and others to reiterate to all parties the terms of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its two Protocols. These documents make plain that cultural heritage, including the digital record, is irreplaceable. Therefore the spaces and institutions associated with cultural property must not become a theatre of war, and the professionals who safeguard it must be afforded the full protection of international law.
Knowing also that peace, justice and truth are aligned, we celebrate those who create and preserve the digital record of our turbulent times. Insofar as it is in our power, we extend to them our full professional support and recognition.
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