Illicit Antiquities
Research Centre
against the theft & traffic
of archaeology

UNESCO Policy on the Taliban

Culture Without Context

Issue 8,
Spring 2001

In August 2000 Kabul museum was opened for the first time in a decade and what was left of its collections — badly depleted by looting during the years of civil war that followed the Soviet withdrawal in 1988 — were on public display. The president of the museum defended the presence of Buddhist statues by maintaining that they were part of the history and culture of Afghanistan, and not to be feared as religious idols. However, in February 2001, the Taliban leader took a different view, and ordered that all idols, including the two monumental Buddhas of the Bamiyan Valley, were to be destroyed. They were blown up in March. In response to the Taliban action, UNESCO released the following statement:

Where there is a serious danger to the survival of a heritage, and at the request of the recognized government of the country concerned, UNESCO will arrange safe custody of objects donated to it for the purpose of eventual return to the country concerned when the situation will allow. For this purpose it will support non-profit organizations working to take cultural objects into safe custody. It will not itself purchase objects which are being illicitly trafficked. In the case of Afghanistan, and consequent to the destruction of heritage by the Taliban authorities, UNESCO has established a special programme to assist in the rescue of cultural objects of Afghan origin, at the request of the legitimate government of that country.

First posted September 2001; Page design updated September 2006