Across the world, we see cultural heritage under attack, from Mali to Iraq and Syria. Extremists vandalize museums and historic sites, forbid girls to go to school and kill members of the media – all symbols that embody freedom of thought and respect for cultural diversity. These assaults strike at the heart of human identity and endeavour.Signed in 1935, the Roerich Pact paved the way for landmark international legal instruments devoted to the protection of cultural property, both in peacetime and during war – including the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Confl ict and its two (1954 and 1999) Protocols. The UNESCO World Heritage Convention, adopted in 1972, builds on the spirit on the Pact. International criminal law has also made big strides in protecting cultural property. Under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, intentionally directing attacks against buildings dedicated to education, art and science, as well as historic monuments, is a war crime in both international and in non-international armed confl ict.This exhibition pays tribute to the ground-breaking Roerich Pact and bears witness to our determination to take its spirit forward.

The exhibition is held in Shimla Art Gallery of the Lalit Kala Academi (National Academy of Art, New Delhi) and in the International Roerich Memorial Trust (the Roerichs’ Estate in Naggar) within the framework of the international exhibition project by the International Centre of the Roerichs and the International Roerichs’ Heritage Preservation Committee, initiated on April 2, 2012 at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.Выставка проходит в Галерее искусств в Шимле при Национальной академии изящных искусств (Академии Лалит Кала, Нью-Дели) и в Международном Мемориальном Тресте Рерихов (имение Рерихов в Наггаре) в рамках международного выставочного проекта Международного Центра Рерихов и Международного Комитета по сохранению наследия Рерихов при поддержке Министерства иностранных дел Российской Федерации, начатого 2 апреля 2012 года в штаб -квартире ЮНЕСКО в Париже

Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947) is known first and foremost as a painter. His paintings, of which there are thousands around the world, explore the mythic origins, the natural beauty, and the spiritual strivings of humanity and of the world. But Nicholas Roerich was as prolific a writer as he was a painter. He wrote books, poetry, and almost-daily essays on life and events (called Diary Leaves).Many of these writings have been unavailable for decades. They will therefore be new to many readers. It is our hope that bringing these volumes to light again will expand awareness of the vast range and depth of Roerich's interests and insights into human nature and cultural history.

Standard-setting represents one of the main constitutional functions of UNESCO and an important tool for realizing the goals for which the Organization was created. In addition to conventions and recommendations, the declarations adopted by the General Conference promulgate principles and norms intended to inspire the action of Member States in specific fields of activity. This first of a two-volume work on Standard-setting in UNESCO contains the essays presented at a symposium held on the occasion of its sixtieth anniversary. Topics addressed in Normative Action in Education, Science and Culture include methods of elaboration and implementation; constitutional objectives and legal commitments; international collaboration; and impact. CO-PUBLICATION WITH: UNESCO