International law has long endeavoured to keep cultural heritage out of harm’s way, in armed conflict as much as during peacetime. Although the law of nations acts as a formidable safeguard against damage and destruction of cul- tural objects, this chapter shows that some of its core features still under- mine a fully-fledged protection. The first part of the contribution recounts the most significant international norms adopted over time to address ever new threats to cultural heritage. Then, we investigate the main challenges to the enforcement of this legal regime, examining how key components in the extant structure of international law account for loopholes and shortcomings in the safeguard of cultural assets. The chapter ends with a review of the available remedies offered by international law to individuals, communities and states whose cultural heritage is threatened by (or has suffered from) unlawful prac- tices of targeting and destruction.