France pledges $30 million toward cultural protection fund

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - France is committing $30 million toward a new fund set up to protect cultural heritage sites during times of armed conflict.

French President Francois Hollande announced the contribution Saturday during a conference in the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi.

Organizers of the Safeguarding Endangered Cultural Heritage conference hope to attract an initial $100 million for the fund. It aims to prevent or stop destruction of historical sites, fight trafficking of stolen artifacts and pay for the restoration of sites damaged by war.

They also seek to create a network of sites around the world where artifacts endangered by fighting or terrorism could be temporarily stored for safekeeping.

Islamic State militants have deliberately destroyed cultural heritage sites in areas they control in Syria and Iraq.