This year is the 70th Anniversary of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, which was created on the 14 May 1954. It is also the 25th Anniversary of its Second Protocol, which was opened for signature on 24 March 1999. Today, these treaties are the most important and widely recognised pieces of international law protecting cultural property in conflict.
This page provides more information about the 1954 Hague Convention and its Protocols, and any events happening this year.
The Blue Shield Movements has its roots and founding in the 1954 Hague Convention – in 1955, R.J. Wilhelm, of the Legal Department of the International Committee of the Red Cross, asserted:
"In the future the Red Cross should be no longer alone in its campaign against indiscriminate methods of warfare; in any case, it should be able to count among its most faithful allies all those who worked to establish the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property, and all those who consider it to be a valuable acquisition. May all the efforts pursued, both under the Red Cross and under the Blue and White Shield, be mutually upheld in order that the aim in view may be more easily attained”.
‘The “Red Cross of Monuments”, Revue Internationale de la Croix Rouge et Bulletin International des Societes de la Croix-Rouge. VIII (2), 1955, pp.76-87, p87.
Information Pack
Want to know more about the Hague Convention, why it’s so important, and its link to the Blue Shield Movement?
This Information Pack is aimed at Blue Shield National Committees, but contains information anyone interested in the history of the Convention will find useful. It provides information about the 1954 Hague Convention and its Protocols – what they are, and why they matter? How are they linked to the Blue Shield? What are the obligations on States Parties to help protect heritage in conflict?
To do this, we have chosen to use small amounts of legal language, and provided a glossary, to help you understand the details. It also has some ideas for events, so you can commemorate the anniversary with us, along with hashtags for social media, and sources of more information.
Events
Organisations around the world are running events to mark the 70th anniversary of the Convention, and the 25th anniversary of the 1999 Second Protocol. We’re collecting them here – so if you’re running an event, we’d love to hear about it and share it.
| Month | Location | Date | Details | More information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | ONLINE and Kernochan Center (Columbia Law School), USA | 1 March | "Protecting Cultural Property: The 1954 Hague Convention at 70" Blue Shield USA, the Kernochan Center (Columbia Law School) & Responsible Art Market Initiative (RAM) |
Event details. Registration link in pdf. |
| April | ||||
| May | The Hague, Netherlands | 13-15 May | "Cultural Heritage and Peace : Building on 70 years of UNESCO Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict" UNESCO, Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, City of The Hague. |
Website Annoucement Full details coming soon |
| June | Brussels | 2 July | Save the Date - Hague Anniversary Event, Blue Shield Austria | |
| July | ||||
| August | ||||
| September | ||||
| October | ||||
| November | 11-13 November | "Cultural Property Protection in the 21st century: meeting requirements across the forces" - Austrian Armed Forces in cooperation with Blue Shield Austria, the University for Continuing Education Krems and the Austrian Society for Cultural Property Protection | Coming Soon | |
| December |
Read more about the 1954 Hague Convention in our Law Library
