A/HRC/8/18 page 17 52. At their regular meeting, in November 2007, the ministers of culture of the League of Arab States declared Jerusalem the Capital of Arab Culture for 2009, a title awarded annually to an Arab capital city. On 25 March 2008, Palestinian organizers planned to hold an event at the Palestinian National Theatre in East Jerusalem to announce the winner of an art contest for designing a logo for the cultural campaign. When they arrived, the doors were locked and the Israeli police were standing outside, reportedly with a warrant from the Ministry of Internal Security banning the event.43 2. Preservation of cultural heritage 53. Inside the Occupied Palestinian Territory there are reportedly an estimated 10,000 archaeological sites and features dating from a number of different civilizations.44 This extraordinary cultural diversity requires careful maintenance so that its unique character is preserved. 54. The Palestinians have, however, been deprived of the right to manage, take proper care of and benefit from this rich historic and cultural heritage. According to UNESCO, territorial fragmentation and restricted mobility has impaired the capacity of the Palestinian Authority to control and monitor the condition of cultural sites across the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Furthermore, the reliance on international donors for heritage conservation has not contributed to the establishment of a stable and sustainable conservation sector, which could be invaluable to the future socio-economic life of Palestinians.45 In addition, it was reported that, during the period under review, no positive action was taken by Israeli authorities to ensure the preservation of archaeological and historical sites and objects in East Jerusalem and in the areas of the West Bank under Israeli administrative jurisdiction. 55. Since 1967, Israel has undertaken numerous activities that have had a negative impact on religious and historic sites in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, ranging from demolitions and excavations to road construction and the building of new structures.46 By a military order dated 18 September 2007, Palestinian lands of the al-Khader and Artas villages were appropriated for the ongoing construction of the Wall. According to media reports and as 43 International Herald Tribune, March 25, 2008, http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/25/ africa/ME-GEN-Israel-Palestinians-Culture-Clash.php. 44 Riwaq’s Registry of the historic buildings of Palestine, 2006, p. 12. 45 Giovanni Fontana Antonelli. UNESCO Ramallah office, presentation at the Jericho Conference on Conservation and Enhancement of the Cultural Heritage, 26-27 March 2008. 46 Buildings of historical, cultural and religious value have been damaged or destroyed in for instance Nablus, Hebron, Bethlehem and East Jerusalem. The destruction and damage caused to the cultural heritage in the Occupied Palestinian Territory was unanimously deplored by the World Heritage Committee in 2002 (26COM 6.1 - Protection of the Cultural Heritage in the Palestinian Territories, adopted by the World Heritage Committee at its 26th session on 24-29 June 2002).