On 23 April 2026, BSI President Peter Stone and Director Callum Peebles hosted a side event at the 29th International Meeting of Mine Action National Directors and United Nations Advisers (NDM-UN29) in Geneva. Their presentation on the importance of cultural heritage protection successfully raised BSI’s profile in the humanitarian mine action sector, leading to invitations for future partnerships and projects.
The conference brought together global leaders in mine action policy and operations, and was convened by United Nations Inter-Agency Coordination Group on Mine Action (IACG-MA) and co-organised with the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD).
BSI’s session aimed to highlight the critical role of safeguarding cultural heritage in conflict and post-conflict environments and attracted an engaged audience. Alongside Peter and Callum on the panel were representatives from The HALO Trust and Mines Advisory Group (MAG), who spoke about their specific experiences of protecting heritage in conflict zones.
HALO’s Andrew Moore shared experiences of clearance operations in churches at the Baptism Site of Christ on the River Jordan. This work required diplomacy and peacebuilding skills to coordinate between both Palestinians and Israeli mine action authorities, and to take account of the significance of the sacred sites to faith leaders and local communities alike.
MAG highlighted their efforts in clearing the Plain of Jars in Laos, an archaeological landscape of huge cultural importance in the most heavily bombed country in history per capita.
The event generated strong interest in BSI’s work, with participants requesting further engagement, including training opportunities for mine action operators and event opportunities in UK parliament. Attendees were interested not only in the protection of major UNESCO-recognised sites, the significance of which are often well understood, but also smaller locations of local cultural importance.
Notably, BSI was invited to contribute to a technical note to act as practical guidance for working in culturally sensitive areas. This note would inform the International Mine Action Standards, the globally recognised standard that mine action operators are required to meet.
While in Geneva for the conference, Peter and Callum visited the International Committee of the Red Cross to reaffirm BSI’s commitment to their existing memorandum of understanding. This productive meeting identified future work that will strengthen collaboration between the two organisations and support BSI’s long-term strategic goals.
These engagements underline Blue Shield International’s commitment to working beyond the heritage sector alone, ensuring that cultural property protection is embedded within broader humanitarian efforts.
