Statement by the
International Committee of the Blue Shield on threatened cultural property in the Middle East conflict (July 21st 2006)
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ICBS Statement on
the records looted in East Timor (June 2006)
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Statement by ICBS on the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the cultural heritage of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama
(September 15th 2005)
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Cultural emergency relief in North Morocco marks the first anniversary of cultural emergency response (September 2004)
ICBS is formed by five non-governmental organisations:
The Protection of the World’s Cultural Heritage
The Blue Shield is the cultural equivalent of the Red Cross. It is the symbol specified in the 1954 Hague Convention for
marking cultural sites to give them protection from attack in the event of armed conflict. It is also the name of an
international committee set up in 1996 to work to protect the world’s cultural heritage threatened by wars and natural
disasters.
The International Committee of the Blue Shield (ICBS) covers museums and archives, libraries, and monuments and
sites. It brings together the knowledge, experience and international networks of the four expert organisations dealing
with cultural heritage: an unrivalled body of expertise which is now available to advise and assist in responding to
events such as war in former Yugoslavia and hurricane damage in Central America. ICBS is international, independent and
professional.
The Mission of the ICBS is to work for the protection of the world’s cultural heritage by coordinating preparations
to meet and respond to emergency situations.
The objectives of the Blue Shield
- to facilitate international responses to threats or emergencies threatening cultural property;
- to encourage safeguarding and respect for cultural property especially by promoting risk preparedness;
- to train experts at national and regional level to prevent, control and recover from disasters;
- to act in an advisory capacity for the protection of endangered heritage;
- to consult and co-operate with other bodies including UNESCO, ICCROM and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The Blue Shield action
- collecting and sharing information on threats to cultural property world-wide;
- raising public awareness about damage to cultural heritage;
- promoting good standards of risk management among those responsible for cultural heritage at all levels, from
institutions to national governments;
- working to make decision makers and professional staffs aware of the need to develop prevention, preparedness, response
and recovery measures;
- providing professional expertise to help meet emergencies;
- identifying resources for disaster prevention and for rapid intervention in emergencies encouraging the establishment
of national Blue Shield committees.
The vital work of the ICBS was recognised in the Second Protocol to the Hague Convention agreed in April 1999 by 84
countries. This gives ICBS a new role, to advise the inter-governmental Committee for Protection of Cultural Property in
the Event of Armed Conflict.
The national committees of the Blue Shield
It is vital that the international initiative is taken up and supported by local initiatives. Blue Shield Committees are
being formed in a number of countries. They bring together the different professions, local and national government, the
emergency services and the armed forces. They provide a forum for them to improve emergency preparedness by sharing
experiences and exchanging information. They provide a focus for raising national awareness of the threats to cultural
heritage. They promote the ratification and implementation by national governments of
the Hague Convention.
[National Committees websites]
President:
Joan van Albada
C/o The International Council on Archives / Conseil international des archives (ICA)
60, rue des Francs-Bourgeois
75003 PARIS
France
Tel. +(33)(1)40276306
Fax: +(33)(1)42722065
E-mail: ica@ica.org
E-mail: vanalbada@ica.org
© ICOMOS
http://www.international.icomos.org
secretariat@icomos.org
