On 26 January Peter Stone, President of Blue Shield International, delivered an address at the Annual General Meeting of the International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (IIC).
The IIC is a professional society with a network of fellows and members spanning 70 countries, and close relationships with thousands of conservators and heritage professionals. Their aim is to coordinate and improve knowledge, methods and working standards needed to protect and preserve heritage. CPP in conflict holds great significance and relevance for the IIC – the Institute was founded shortly after WW2 by a group of men and women that included members of the Monuments, Fine Art and Archives programme (the famous ‘Monuments Men’).
Blue Shield has long links with the IIC. In 2012, the IIC presented its Advocate Award, given to world visionaries who are deeply committed to the preservation of heritage, to the founders of the Blue Shield – Patrick Boylan, Dinu Bumbaru, George Mackenzie and Marie-Therese Varlamoff.
Continuing that strong relationship, and building on a presentation he delivered to an IIC audience more than a decade ago, Peter provided an updated perspective on the evolving challenges of protecting cultural heritage during armed conflict.
In his address, Peter stressed three points. First, that effective protection of cultural heritage in times of armed conflict must begin long before conflict breaks out. Peter warned that attempting protection only once conflict has already begun almost guarantees damage. Preparedness in peacetime is essential to safeguarding heritage that might otherwise be lost.
Second, that heritage cannot be protected in conflict by the heritage sector alone. Peter stressed that successful protection requires coordination and collaboration across the heritage, humanitarian, and uniformed sectors (the latter comprising not only armed forces but border and customs, police and other emergency services).
Third, that the case for protecting cultural heritage must be framed in terms that resonate with the humanitarian and uniformed sectors. Rather than presenting protection as an end in itself (for example because a site holds World Heritage status or national cultural importance) its value must be communicated as holding relevance to humanitarian and defence objectives. When understood as contributing to, rather than merely complicating, operational mandates, heritage protection becomes an enabling rather than competing priority.
The day after, Peter and BSI’s new Director, Callum Peebles, met with the IIC Council to explore opportunities for closer collaboration between the two organisations. BSI hopes this will lead to a closer formal partnership in the near future.
