Italian Deputy Minister for Culture Ilaria Borletti Buitoni at the “Culture in Crisis” international conference at the V&A Museum

Participation of the Italian Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Ilaria Borletti Buitoni at the International Conference “Culture in Crisis” at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

How can we protect the cultural heritage from the dangers posed by the ISIS militia in the Middle East? What role do  museums and other institutions and actors have in preventing the wilful destruction of cultural sites in areas of conflict? Will the proposal of sending modern-day “Monument Men” to protect the world’s cultural heritage in risky circumstances find unanimous support?

In light of the significant losses at archaeological sites in Syria and Iraq at the hands of the Islamic State militants, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage at Yale University organised “Culture in Crisis”, an international conference under the patronage of UNESCO, which took place on 14 April 2015, at the historical museum in South Kensington. Several experts in the field of cultural heritage conservation, from around the world, examined previous cases and possible future strategies to halt the destruction of archaeological sites and cultural heritage.

In recognition of Italy’s role at the forefront in the rescue and restoration of the world’s Cultural Heritage, the Italian Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism, Ilaria Borletti Buitoni, was invited to speak at the conference. She also took part in a press conference and a Panel which saw audience participation.

During her talk, Deputy Minister Borletti Buitoni provided a summary of Italy’s proposal to counter barbaric actions against the world’s cultural heritage, which had previously been jointly presented with Spain to the United Nations. The proposal aims to create a ‘blue helmet’ rapid deployment force and to push for the recognition of cultural cleansing as a crime against humanity.

Italy’s lead in this initiative confirms its commitment to preserve the world’s cultural heritage.



– Guardian article on the Italian proposal

– V&A Museum

– Yale News