Peter Stone, President of the Blue Shield, was “honoured, delighted, and slightly embarrassed” to be presented with the prestigious Cultural Protection Ambassador Award International Arts & Antiquities Security Forum (IAASF) on 12 September 2023. He was nominated by the UK National Commission for UNESCO for his “dedication to cultural heritage working closely with UNESCO and the Blue Shield”.
The IAASF is an international organisation dedicated to supporting and educating a global audience on the protection of arts, antiquities, and cultural heritage. The annual conference brings together experts in security (ranging from fire, flood, and disaster, to theft, terrorism, and conflict). During the conference, Stone gave the keynote address where he talked about the impact conflict has on cultural heritage on a global scale, and highlighted the need for cultural property protection experts to work with experts such as those brought together by the conference.
After accepting the award, Stone said
“Such awards tend to be given to one person but are the result of many working together over a long time. I thank UNESCO for agreeing to establish the Chair in Cultural Property Protection & Peace at Newcastle, and Newcastle University, without whose funding since 2016, none of this would have happened. I accepted the award also on behalf of my close colleagues Emma Cunliffe and Michael Delacruz (and the retired Paul Fox). Together we make up the UNESCO Chair team at Newcastle University and, through the Chair, provide much of the core support and activity of the Blue Shield. This is their award as much as mine.”
