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Paper short abstract

This paper proposes a "Cultural Security Doctrine," arguing that cultural rights are binding security obligations, not soft power. It outlines legal mechanisms to operationalise arts and heritage protection within defence mandates, shifting culture from discretionary to essential.

Paper long abstract

This paper proposes a Cultural Security Doctrine (CSD), a framework that positions cultural rights not as instruments of soft power but as elements of hard security infrastructure. It argues that the protection and restoration of cultural life are core components of international stability, requiring formal integration into peacekeeping, defence, and reconstruction policy.

Current peacebuilding often separates security from culture, treating the former as the domain of soldiers and the latter as the realm of artists and educators. This divide is both legally and strategically flawed. International Humanitarian Law, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2347 establish a legal foundation for recognising that the deliberate destruction of cultural life constitutes a breach of international peace and security obligations. Neglecting culture in post-conflict settings, therefore, represents not a policy omission but a failure of law.

Through comparative analysis of conflicts, the paper shows that the erasure of cultural expression often precedes social fragmentation and the collapse of governance. Where creative practices endure, they foster resilience, trust, and identity, proving that cultural continuity is as vital to reconstruction as physical infrastructure.

The paper concludes with practical legal and policy measures to operationalise the Cultural Security Doctrine, including the appointment of Cultural Security Advisors within United Nations peacekeeping missions and the use of Cultural Rights Impact Assessments in post-conflict reconstruction. By codifying culture as a security obligation, the Cultural Security Doctrine redefines the arts and heritage sectors as essential actors in sustainable peacebuilding.