Language as cultural heritage

This Handbook sets out and assesses the international legal framework governing the protection of cultural heritage. Cultural heritage is frequently not bounded by national territory and can only effectively be protected through international cooperation. This is a primary driving force of contemporary multilateral, regional, and bilateral initiatives, including legal measures. Accordingly, the Handbook is primarily focused on public international law, but it embraces also aspects of private international law and comparative law. It analyses the substance of cultural heritage protection and explores its links with other areas of public and private international law, as well as the ways in which cultural heritage law is contributing to the development of international law itself. The Handbook concludes with an examination of the implementation of cultural heritage law and of regional approaches. It reflects the diversity of developments in almost every field of international law which is leading to this specialist area of law and provides an overarching rationale for understanding and teaching cultural heritage law as a coherent body of law with key principles and practices. The book is designed in such a manner to enable a reader, whether it be a practitioner, policymaker, teacher or student, to pick and choose according their individual needs.