The UNESCO Committee will use the “special monitoring” mechanism for the first time in Ukraine and organize a mission to Kharkiv. The goal is to record the damage to the State Industrial Complex caused by Russian air strikes and collect evidence for the International Criminal Court.

The UNESCO Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict decides to use the mechanism of "special monitoring" in Ukraine for the first time. A mission will be organized to Kharkiv. This was reported by the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, UNN reports.

On December 11, during a meeting, the Committee members supported the decision to organize a "special monitoring" mission to Kharkiv. This will make Ukraine the first country to use this mechanism,

– writes the Ministry of Culture.

Details

The agency clarified that such a step would allow to record the damage to the Derzhprom building, which was hit by the Russian occupiers. Measures will also be coordinated to restore the monument and evidence will be collected to bring Russian war criminals to justice.

Minister of Culture Mykola Tochytskyi noted that Ukraine is stepping up efforts to use UNESCO mechanisms to maximize the protection and preservation of cultural property in times of war.

The head of the Ministry of Culture is confident that the results of the "special monitoring" mission will help to record the destruction and send the findings to the International Criminal Court.

Recall

At the end of October, Russian troops damaged the State Industry building in Kharkiv, which is a UNESCO-protected architectural monument. A medical facility and administrative buildings were also damaged, with six people injured.

An aerial bomb damaged the 7th entrance of the State Industrial Complex in Kharkiv, shattering about 700 windows. The main structures survived, but due to its status as an architectural monument, restoration may take years.