International Committee of the Blue Shield
 Emblem for marking protected objects per the Hague Convention of 1954 | |
| Formation | 1996 |
|---|---|
| Type | Non-governmental organization |
| Purpose | Protecting cultural heritage during war |
Region served | Worldwide |
| Fields | Humanitarianism |
The International Committee of the Blue Shield (ICBS) was founded in 1996 "to work to protect the world's cultural heritage threatened by wars and natural disasters".[1] It has been described as the "Cultural Red Cross", and its name derives from the usage of the blue shield as specified in the 1954 Hague Convention on Protection of Cultural Property in Armed Conflict.
Overview
The ICBS consists of representatives from five organizations:
- International Council on Archives
- International Council of Museums
- International Council on Monuments and Sites
- International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
The interim Chair of ICBS is Hanna Pennock, who is also acting director general of the International Council of Museums (ICOM). Furthermore, since the establishment of the Blue Shield, a number of National Blue Shield Committees have been formed in various countries, leading to the December 2008 establishment of the Association of National Committees of the Blue Shield (ANCBS). Since December 2008, the president of the ANCBS has been Karl von Habsburg.
In the United States, the National Committee of the Blue Shield is the U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield (USCBS).
References
Further reading
- George P. Mackenzie: Working for the Protection of the World's Cultural Heritage: The International Committee of the Blue Shield. In: Journal of the Society of Archivists. 24(1)/2000, Routledge & The Society of Archivists, pp. 5–10, ISSN 1465-3907.
- Marie-Thérèse Varlamoff: The Blue Shield Initiative. Joining Efforts to Preserve our Cultural Heritage in Danger. In: Liber Quarterly. The Journal of European Research Libraries. 12(2–3)/2002, Utrecht Publishing & Archiving Services, pp. 275–282, ISSN 1435-5205.
- Corine Koch (Übers., Ed.): A Blue Shield for the Protection of our Endangered Cultural Heritage. International Preservation Issues Number Four. International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, Paris 2003, ISBN 2-91-274302-8.
- Ross Shimmon: The International Committee of the Blue Shield 1998–2004: An Overview. In: Alexandria. The Journal of National and International Library and Information Issues. 16(3)/2004. Ashgate Publishing & the British Library, pp. 133–141, ISSN 0955-7490.
External links