This year we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the founding of our first national committees!
In 2000, the first national committees were founded, and Blue Shield became a truly worldwide organisation, protecting heritage in crisis.
The Blue Shield was founded in 1996 by the Executive Boards of the International Council on Archives (ICA); International Council of Museums (ICOM); International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA); and International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). with the goal of protecting heritage in conflict, disaster, and complex emergencies. Marie-Therese Varlamoff, the then Director of IFLA Preservation and Conservation Core Activity, campaigned worldwide for national committees, recognising the need to parallel the Red Cross. Her efforts quickly paid off, and Blue Shield soon saw the foundation of national committees in The Netherlands, Great Britain & Ireland (joint committee), France, Belgium and Norway. Poland and Czechia quickly followed.
Today we have 34 National Committees around the world, and more in development, all working for the vital protection of cultural property in support of affected communities!
Happy anniversary to our first committees, and congratulations to those who have joined us since – we’re so proud to have you in the Blue Shield!
