Blue Shield: Torino Declaration

TORINO DECLARATION

Resolutions of the first Blue Shield International Meeting,

held in Torino, Italy. 23-24 July 2004

The representatives of the founding members of the International Committee of the Blue Shield (ICA, ICOM, ICOMOS, IFLA) and of the National Blue Shield Committees of Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Italy, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Norway, Poland, United Kingdom and Ireland, and Venezuela, and the representatives of Cultural Emergency Response and Cultural Heritage Without Borders, meeting in Torino, Italy, on the occasion of the first international meeting of the International and National Committees of the Blue Shield,

Mindful of the right and the responsibility of each country to protect its cultural heritage, and referring to the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity unanimously adopted by UNESCO in 2001 , supporting the project to develop an international convention on cultural diversity as recommended by the 32nd General Conference and affirming the 2003 UNESCO Declaration concerning the Intentional Destruction of Cultural Heritage,
Recalling the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict adopted at The Hague in 1954, its First Protocol of 1954 and its Second Protocol of 1999 which entered into force on 9 March 2004,
Recalling the founding objectives of the ICBS of April 1996 and its Charter concluded in Strasbourg on 14 April 2000 ,
Deeply concerned by the effects of human-made or natural disasters devastating both movable and immovable cultural heritage:

A recommend that the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict adopted at The Hague in 1954, the First Protocol of 1954 and the Second Protocol of 1999 be signed and ratified by all states parties to UNESCO and to the United Nations,

B (1) recommend that the United Nations and other international organisations include the protection of the movable and immovable cultural heritage, and of vital records , from destruction and displacement in the mandate of their peace support operations, (2) encourage national governments to include the protection of the movable and immovable cultural heritage from destruction and displacement in the mandate of their humanitarian operations,

C recommend that governments and relevant organisations of the United Nations act to prevent looting and destruction of cultural heritage sites and buildings and illicit trade in cultural property,

D considering the importance of risk preparedness, response and recovery, recommend that cultural heritage professionals and others integrate these stages into their programmes,

E recommend that ICA, ICOM, ICOMOS and IFLA national members should create a National Committee of the Blue Shield, where such committees do not exist, and urge national authorities to support these committees’ roles and actions to protect movable and immovable cultural heritage in the event of natural or man-made disasters, and

F decide to establish and strengthen the ICBS as a visible, effective entity.

Resolutions of Thanks

The above mentioned participants of the first Blue Shield International Meeting give their heartfelt thanks to:

UNESCO for supporting participation in the meeting,
the Città di Torino, Provincia di Torino, Regione Piemonte for their generous patronage and hospitality,
the Centro Ricerche Archeologiche e Scavi di Torino for the organisation of the special session on protection of cultural heritage in Iraq, and the Ministero per i beni e le attività culturali, Ministero degli Esteri e Nucleo Carabinieri Tutela Patrimonio Culturale and Polish Ministry of Culture for their valued contributions,
the Archivio di Stato di Torino and Museo della Resistenza, della Deportazione, della Guerra, dei Diritti e della Libertà for hosting the professional and working sessions, and
ICOM Italia and the Centro Ricerche Archeologiche e Scavi di Torino for their effective organisation of the meeting.

Background information

The International Committee for the Blue Shield (ICBS) comprises representatives of four non-governmental organisations:

International Council on Archives (ICA)
International Council on Museums (ICOM)
International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)

ICBS embraces archives, libraries, monuments and sites, and museums. Its mission is to work for the protection of cultural heritage by co-coordinating preventative measures to meet and respond to emergency situations, both natural and man-made. The Blue Shield is the equivalent of the Red Cross/Red Crescent in the field of cultural heritage. The vital work of the ICBS was recognized in the Second Protocol to The Hague Convention, adopted in March 1999. This will give the Committee a new role to advise the future Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, to be set up when the Protocol comes into force. It will do so three months after 20 states have ratified the Protocol. This is expected to occur in late 2003 or early 2004.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

Joan van Albada, President, International Committee of the Blue Shield C/o International Council on Archives60, rue des Francs-Bourgeois 75003 Paris - France Tel. +(33)(1)40276306 Fax: +(33)(1)42722065 Email: vanalbada [at] ica [dot] org

ICA (International Council on Archives) 60, rue des Francs-Bourgeois 75003 Paris - France Tel. +(33)(1)40276306 Fax: +(33)(1)42722065 E-mail: ica [at] ica [dot] org www.ica.org [1]

ICOM (International Council of Museums) Maison de l'UNESCO 1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris cedex 15 - France Tel. +(33)(1)47340500 Fax: +(33)(1)43067862 E-mail: secretariat [at] icom [dot] org www.icom.museum [2]

ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) 49-51, rue de la Fédération 75015 Paris - France Tel. +(33)(1)45676770 Fax: +(33)(1)45660622 E-mail: icomos [at] cicrp [dot] jussieu [dot] fr www.international.icomos.org [3]

IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions) P.O. Box 95312 2509 CH The Hague - The Netherlands Tel. +(31)(70)3140884 Fax: +(31)(70)3834827 E-mail: marie-therese.varlamoff [at] bnf [dot] fr www.ifla.org [4]