On 12 December 2022, Iceland ratified the 1954 UNESCO Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. The ratification of the convention was carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Trade and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Almost all European countries have now ratified the convention.
In Cabinet news from December 13, 2022 says:
"The 1954 Hague Convention is an important tool for the protection of cultural property in the ongoing war in Ukraine. It is the first and most comprehensive multilateral agreement on the protection of cultural property and was concluded in the aftermath of World War II, when invaluable cultural property was damaged, stolen or lost. Cultural property has suffered enormous damage in armed conflicts in recent years, for example in the former Yugoslavia, Iraq and Syria, and there is an increased risk of its destruction due to the development of military technology. The ongoing invasion of Ukraine is no exception, but there have been reports of deliberate destruction of cultural property by invading forces."