Treaty on the Protection of Artistic and Scientific
Institutions and Historic Monuments (Roerich Pact). Washington, 15 April 1935.
The High Contracting Parties,
animated by the purpose of giving conventional form to the postulates of the
resolution approved on 16 December 1933, by all the States represented at the
Seventh International Conference of American States, held at Montevideo, which
recommended to "the Governments of America which have not yet done so that
they sign the 'Roerich Pact', initiated by the 'Roerich Museum' in the United
States, and which has as its object the universal adoption of a flag, already
designed and generally known, in order thereby to preserve in any time of
danger all nationally and privately owned immovable monuments which form the
cultural treasure of peoples, "have resolved to conclude a Treaty with
that end in view and to the effect that the treasures of culture be respected
and protected in time of war and in peace, have agreed upon the following
Articles:
Article 1. The historic monuments, museums,
scientific, artistic, educational and cultural institutions shall be considered
as neutral and as such respected and protected by belligerents.
The same respect and protection shall be due to
the personnel of the institutions mentioned above.
The same respect and protection shall be
accorded to the historic monuments, museums, scientific, artistic, educational
and cultural institutions in time of peace as well as in war.
Art. 2. The neutrality of, and protection and
respect due to, the monuments and institutions mentioned in the preceding
Article, shall be recognized in the entire expanse of territories subject to
the sovereignty of each of the Signatory and Acceding States, without any
discrimination as to the State allegiance of said monuments and institutions.
The respective Governments agree to adopt the measures of internal legislation
necessary to insure said protection and respect.
Art. 3. In order to identify the monuments and
institutions mentioned in Article I, use may be made of a distinctive flag (red
circle with a triple red sphere in the circle on a white background) in
accordance with the model attached to this Treaty.
Art. 4. The Signatory Governments and those
which accede to this Treaty shall send to the Pan American Union, at the time
of signature or accession, or at any time thereafter, a list of the monuments
and institutions for which they desire the protection agreed to in this Treaty.
The Pan American Union, when notifying the
Governments of signatures or accessions, shall also send the list of monuments
and institutions mentioned in this Article, and shall inform the other
Governments of any changes in said list.
Art. 5. The monuments and institutions
mentioned in Article 1 shall cease to enjoy the privileges recognized in the
present Treaty in case they are made use of for military purposes.
Art. 6. The States which do not sign the
present Treaty on the date it is opened for signature may sign or adhere to it
at any time.
Art. 7. The instruments of accession, as well
as those of ratification and denunciation of the present Treaty, shall be
deposited with the Pan American Union, which shall communicate notice of the
act of deposit to the other Signatory of Acceding States.
Art. 8. The present Treaty may be denounced at
any time by any of the Signatory or Acceding
States, and the denunciation shall go
into effect three months after notice of it has been given to the other
Signatory or Acceding
States.
In witness whereof the undersigned Plenipotentiaries,
after having deposited their full powers, found to be in due and proper form,
sign this Treaty on behalf of their respective Governments, and affix thereto
their seals, on the dates appearing opposite their signatures.