The absent framework: a legal semiotics inquiry into the destruction of collective memory through cultural heritage loss

This article addresses a critical gap in international cultural heritage law: the lack of explicit legal recognition of cultural heritage's role in preserving collective memory. Although normative instruments often refer to factors such as identity and cultural diversity, especially within human rights discourses, they consistently fail to conceive legacy as a vector of mnemonic continuity and collective historical knowledge. Through a computational semiotic analysis of significant legal documents, this paper reveals a recurring terminological omission: direct allusions to "memory" are downplayed, pointing to a broader conceptual blind spot in the legal regulation of cultural legacy. The loss of cultural heritage is not adequately addressed by international law, which still fails to recognise the mnemonic function of heritage and the deeper cultural disruption caused by its loss. This is particularly visible in conflict and post-conflict contexts, where heritage often has a stabilising and identity-affirming function. Grounded in legal theory, international law, and a rights-based approach to cultural governance, this paper presents a doctrinal and normative argument: cultural heritage protection must expand to encompass the preservation of memory as a legally significant interest. It argues that international law must go beyond seeing heritage as a passive item of cultural diversity or economic value and instead embrace a paradigm that acknowledges its active role in preserving memory, identity, and intergenerational continuity. The article concludes by advocating for the adoption of memory-sensitive principles in international cultural heritage law and urging the identification of memory loss as a distinct form of cultural damage.