The ACHA will conduct case studies on the reconstruction of cultural heritage in conflict areas, support inter-museum exchanges, organize exhibitions for dialogue between Chinese and Arab civilizations, and hold international seminars on the protection and return of colonial-era artifacts, according to the document.
The ACHA has a fund, the Asian Cultural Heritage Protection Fund with 15 projects in 2023, which will involve countries like Iran, Syria, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and the United Arab Emirates.
The alliance will enhance cooperation among different states, supporting joint archaeology and research along the Belt and Road Initiative, and promoting the strengthening of transnational joint heritage nomination mechanisms, including the Maritime Silk Road.
The ACHA is another international document that follows proposals including the 1994 Nara Document on Authenticity and 2021 Fuzhou Declaration, which is to “provide an Asian approach to global cultural heritage conservation management”.
The Diplomat is critical about ACHA. It argues that it fits in a growing trend to remodel and govern cultural heritage in ways that advance the nationalist ambitions of populist leaders.
