Heritage preservation and protection through legislation and international organizations: actions to protect the heritage of the former Yugoslavia 30 years after the end of the war

The paper proposes a consideration regarding the concept of heritage protection and preservation during armed conflicts. Indeed, since the 1950s, UNESCO and other international organizations have initialed documents, laws and norms to encourage the protection of heritage in contexts made fragile by conflict or war. The essay intends to reread the most important documents in this regard and attempt to highlight a link and connection with the debate on heritage conservation of the same years. Such a dual reading will provide an understanding of the link between disciplinary debate and international norms and, in addition, will provide an understanding of how these norms have evolved from the end of World War II to the present. The case, in particular, of the conflict in the Balkans has forced a change in the relevant statutes, and therefore the activities that UNESCO, ICOMOS and other Organizations have carried out to facilitate the protection and preservation of heritage in the former Yugoslavia and particularly in Bosnia will be analyzed. From these analyses it will also be possible to understand how these organizations still play an active role today and how their function is strategic for the preservation of heritage and the achievement of peace.