Valery Freland with the Palmyra guide, who is leading the first tourist tour of the site in 14 years. (Credit: Hasan Aljany/Courtesy of Aliph)
L’Orient-le Jour: To begin with, can you briefly explain the reasons behind the creation of the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (Aliph) in 2017?Valery Freland: Aliph was created in 2017 in Geneva — two years after the destruction of the city of Palmyra — at the initiative of France and the United Arab Emirates, with support including from Saudi Arabia, following a major conference held in Abu Dhabi in December 2016.Several reports resulted from this, including one by Jean-Luc Martinez, former president of the Louvre, which recommended creating a new international institution, a new international financial instrument capable of intervening quickly and concretely on the ground to protect heritage in conflict zones.After seven years of tangible action, Aliph now has 550 projects in 55 countries to its...
L’Orient-le Jour: To begin with, can you briefly explain the reasons behind the creation of the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (Aliph) in 2017?Valery Freland: Aliph was created in 2017 in Geneva — two years after the destruction of the city of Palmyra — at the initiative of France and the United Arab Emirates, with support including from Saudi Arabia, following a major conference held in Abu Dhabi in December 2016.Several reports resulted from this, including one by Jean-Luc Martinez, former president of the Louvre, which recommended creating a new international institution, a new international financial instrument capable of intervening quickly and concretely on the ground to protect heritage in conflict zones.After seven years of tangible action, Aliph now has 550 projects in 55 countries...
