Blue Shield Lar Joye, 5 th November 2015.
1. Introduction. 2. Types of Disasters. 3. What is Blue Shield? 4. Establishment of Blue Shield 5. Blue Shield Internationally. 6. Irish Committee of the Blue Shield 7. 1954 Hague Convention 8. Training 9. Future Plans
Natural Disasters 1. Tsumnai, 2004 2. Hurricane Katrina, 2005. 3. Haiti Earthquake, 2010. 4. Japan 2011. 5. Philippines, 2013 6. Danube Flooding, 2013. 7. Nepal earthquake.
Fire. 1. York Cathedral Fire, 1984 2. Trinity College Fire, July 1984 3. Longford Cathedral, 2008. 4. Cologne Archives Collapse, 2009. 5. Fire in Archives in Sarajevo, 2013, 6. Nationals Trusts Clandon Park, Surrey.
War 1. Bosnia 2. 9/11 3. Invasion of Iraq, 2004 4. Libya, 2011. 5. Mali. 6. Syria and Iraq 2014. 7. Tunisia, 2015. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/26/isisfighters-destroy-ancient-artefacts-mosul-museumiraq
The Red Cross for Culture
What is the Blue Shield? The cultural equivalent of the Red Cross. Like the Red Cross, Blue Shield is an international organisation supported by national committees. There are three minor but important differences: The Red Cross has had some 150 years to establish a world-wide reputation the Blue Shield is almost unknown. The Red Cross has a multi-million euro budget - the Blue Shield has no income at all. The Red Cross has a paid staff of thousands - the Blue Shield has no paid staff.
What is the Blue Shield? The Blue Shield aims to protect cultural and heritage sites from attack in times of armed conflict or civil disturbance, and from natural disasters. It also aims to promote awareness of the importance of preserving heritage sites and their contents in peacetime and during conflict. The basis for the Blue Shield is the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property and its additional first and second protocols.
1954 Hague Convention. Recognized WWI & WWII damage and looting of cultural property. First international treaty focused exclusively on protecting cultural property during armed conflict. 126 States Parties have signed the convention.
World War I Leuven Library, 1914.
World War II
Dresden.
Establishment of Blue Shield In order to protect endangered cultural heritage, the International Committee of the Blue Shield was created in 1996 by five nongovernmental organisations. and sites, and museums. 1. ICA (The International Council of Archives) www.ica.org 2. ICOM (The International Council of Museums) www.icom.museum 3. ICOMOS (The International Council on Monuments and Sites) www.icomos.org 4. IFLA (The International Federation of Library Associations) 5. CCAAA (The Co-ordinating Council of Audiovisual Archives Associations) www.ccaaa.org Mostar s Old Bridge, Bosnia Herzogovina rebuilt after being destroyed in 1993
Blue Shield Internationally Blue Shield International consist of the following organisations: (1.) Blue Shield International. (2.) Registered committees. Australia Austria Belgium Benin Chile Curacao Czech Republic Denmark Georgia France Ireland Israel Italy Macedonia Madagascar Netherlands Norway Poland Romania. Senegal. Spain. UK. United States. Umayyad Mosque Aleppo, Syria 2013
Blue Shield Internationally French Committee Have 250 members and a annual budget of E103,000 Divided into 5 sections and work very closely with the Red Cross. Produce Disaster manuals and have a GIS project providing data on culture sites in France and nearby hazards.
Blue Shield Internationally US Committee Started in light of events in Iraq in 2003. Works closely the US military. Trying to ratify the 2 nd Protocol of the Hague Convention, not passed in 2009. Responded to the Haiti earthquake in 2010 in partnership with the Smithsonian Museum. Worked on a do not target list of sites in Libya and now Ukraine. Offices provided by the Smithsonian Museum. US Committee in Haiti in 2010.
Blue Shield Internationally Austrian Committee. Austria has always taken the Hague Convention very seriously Their army has created policies on protecting their historical sites and collections since 1950 s Karl Von Hasburg former MEP and fighter pilot is involved with the committee. Now involved in working with the army in Mali.
Blue Shield International Objectives are: 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 International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Archives in Sarajevo, 2013.
Blue Shield International It achieves this by: 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 Archives in Sarajevo, 2013.
To Learn More
INCBS The UKIRB (UK & Ireland Blue Shield) Committee was inaugurated on 13 March 2001. The UKIRB was located within the National Preservation Office based at the British Library. However, it became clear that it would be more appropriate to have a separate Irish Blue Shield grouping The fact was that the UKIRB Committee operated within two separate jurisdictions with quite distinct differences in terms of international engagement. Aftermath of Looting of Baghdad Museum 2003
INCBS The Irish committee was reconstituted in 2010 under the chairmanship of Dr Michael Ryan, then Director of the Chester Beatty Library. In September 2012 the Irish Committee of the Blue Shield was officially recognised as a National Committee by the International Committee of the Blue Shield Mosul museum attack.
INCBS The INCBS consists of representatives from organisations representing cultural institutions within Ireland including libraries, museums, national monuments and archives. International Council of Museums (ICOM-Ireland): Lar Joye and vacant position CCAAA (The Co-ordinating Council of Audiovisual Archives Associations) Kas O Connell International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), Deirdre McDermott and vacant position International Council of Archives (ICA) Helen Hewson International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA). Siobhan Fitzpatrick and Colette O Flaherty
The Committee
INCBS Mission The mission of the INCBS is: To promote the principles of the 1954 Hague Convention and 1999 Protocol in respect of the protection of cultural property n times of armed conflict and to work with others to complete its ratification of the Hague Convention by ratifying the protocol on the protection of the cultural heritage in time of war. To act as a unifying voice for engaging government and funders to understand and accept their responsibilities for protecting long term access to the cultural heritage. To develop plans to enable the INCBS to contribute to National and international efforts to protect the cultural heritage in times of war and natural disasters by means of Organising voluntary workers where possible, by programmes of education, fundraising, training and such other actions as the INCBS shall approve after careful consideration. Blue Shield volunteers at site of Cologne Archives collapse 2009
What is the 1954 Hague Convention? 1938 Draft Convention 1949 Geneva Conventions 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict & Protocol 1977 Protocols additional to the Geneva Conventions 1999 Second Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention
International Humanitarian Law Hague Convention is part of International Humanitarian Law, formerly known as the Law of War, which is a branch of international law IHL seeks to strike a balance between military necessity and the interests of humanity by regulating the conduct of armed conflict IHL places limits on the means and methods of warfare in the interests of humanity Developed greatly since the 1 st Geneva Convention in 1864. Basic rule of IHL is that only combatants and military targets can be the object of attack civilians, prisoners of war, the sick and wounded, and civilian objects are protected Cultural property is a civilian object unless used for military purposes, which is generally prohibited
1954 Hague Convention UNESCO Conference on the Protection the event of Armed Conflict, The Hague 21 April 14 May 1954. Ireland represented by: Ambassador Josephine McNeill Lt Col Harrington Dr Patrick Henchy, National Library. ( 1967-76) Warka Mask stolen from National Museum in Iraq and recovered
Who signed up? Ireland signed the Convention upon adoption in 1954 126 States have ratified or acceded to the Convention. Renewed interest in the early 1990s and again after adoption of 1999 Protocol. Denmark (2003) Japan (2007) New Zealand (2008) United States (2009). Still not parties Ireland and the UK
1954 Hague Convention This the Symbol of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict Used to mark cultural property for protection during armed conflict in Austria.
Obligations under the Convention Safeguard and respect Cultural Property. In time of peace make preparations to safeguard Cultural Property against foreseeable effects of armed conflict. Not use Cultural Property for purposes likely to expose it to destruction or damage during armed conflict. Refrain from any hostile act against Cultural Property except in cases of imperative military necessity. Prohibit, prevent and stop theft and pillage of Cultural Property Importantly Convention requires States to make violation of the Convention a Criminal offence in their laws
Special Protections. States can nominate for Special Protection: Refuges to shelter movable Cultural Property and Monumental Centres and other immovable cultural property of very great importance Conditions apply: Must be located away from any important military objective Must not be used for military purposes Must be registered with UNESCO States obliged not to direct any act of hostility against Cultural Property under Special Protection.
Weakness of the Convention. Obligations to protect Cultural Property could be waived in cases of imperative military necessity Special Protection requires prior registration on the International Register of Cultural Property under Special Protection to which any other State may object Only 5 States ever requested Special Protection Vatican City Austria, the Netherlands and Germany During Cold War growing sense that Cultural Property could not be protected from intercontinental ballistic missiles m Growing sense that law needed to be updated particularly in light of Iran-Iraq, Balkan and Afghan Wars This led to the 1999 Protocol.
The Situation Today. It is hoped that Ireland will ratify the Convention before 2018. Legislative and administrative measures necessary Create specific criminal offences: Attacking cultural property under EP Using cultural property under EP in support of military action Extensive destruction or appropriate of cultural property Theft, pillage, misappropriation, vandalism Jurisdiction, extradition, mutual legal assistance Military training and doctrine. Preparatory measures and emergency planning.
Training with ICCROM. ICCROM is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to the conservation of cultural heritage. Organises First Aid to Cultural Heritage in times of Crisis course. So far over 100 conservators and museum, library and archive professionals have completed the course. http://www.iccrom.org/news/
Prepare to Protect. Seminar 'Prepare to Protect' was held on 22 October in Collins Barracks, Dublin. Karl von Habsurg Corrie Wegener Blue Shield US Blue Shield Mark Adamson, Flood Risk Assessment and Management: Protecting our Heritage Susie Bioletti, Knowing the Collection, Managing all the Risks Dobbin, Keely, Fire Service: Pre-Incident Planning & Fire Service Liaison / Role Lesley-Ann Hayden, MSPI - Putting the Basics in Place Patrizia La Piscopia, First Aid to Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis O'Doherty, Leonard, McMullan, Emergency Management in Ireland Zoë Reid, National Disaster Response Scheme Declan Smyth, 1954 Hague Convention and Protocols http://www.icomos.ie/index.php/blue-shield/activities
Future Plans Plans for 2014-16. Short seminar to commemorate the International Day of Sites and Monuments with ICOMOS Ireland, Customs House Dublin in April 2014 Attending the Extraordinary General Assembly of Blue Shield in American University in Rome, May 2014. A one day seminar on protecting heritage in times of emergency on October 22 2014 at the National Museum, Collins Barracks. Implementing our mission by 2018. Ongoing meetings with Irish Defence Forces, Foreign Affairs and other bodies. Organise a training course with ICCROM and the heritage Council in early 2016.
For more information go to: For more information go to: http://www.ancbs.org/cms/en/ http://www.icomos.ie/index.php/blue-shield/objectives https://www.facebook.com/irishblueshield Contact Details Lar Joye, E-mail ljoye@museum.ie