Blue Shield has been working with UNIFIL, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, since 2013, including major training courses in 2013, 2019, and 2021, and the development of an action plan to preserve heritage sites during conflict. Work is carried out in partnership with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the Directorate General of Antiquities (DGA).
Initially deployed to confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon and restore peace, UNIFIL’s Mandate was established according to Security Council resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978) of 19 March 1978, Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) of 11 August 2006, resolution 1773 (2007), resolution 2373 (2017), resolutions 2433 (2018) and 2485 (2019). Of the three parts of its mandate, UNIFIL has essentially completed two. It has confirmed the withdrawal of Israeli forces and assisted, to the extent it could, the Lebanese authorities as they returned to the area vacated by Israel.” Consequently, UNIFIL’s main focus from has been on “restoring international peace and security” with the functions of an observer and monitoring mission, cooperating with LAF: LAF and UNIFIL efforts have focused on the deployment of the LAF Model Regiment in UNIFIL’s area of operation and the development of a strategy for a phased transition of the responsibilities of Maritime Task Force to the Lebanese Navy.
Peter Stone, Vice-President of BSI, supported CPP training with UNIFIL, the LAF, DGA, and BS Austria in Lebanon, August 2019 © Joe Farres
The years of prior experience with cultural property protection from working with BSI came to the fore in the weeks following the explosion in Beirut on 4 August 2020. In cooperation with the Lebanese Directorate General of Antiquities, the two military forces teamed up with BSI and the Lebanese Blue Shield to shore up the walls and roof of a palace housing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The historic building was in danger of collapse, but the team were able to make the building safe with a temporary roof covering. As part of the work, 14 tonnes of debris was cleared.
Read more about the work in “Beirut Safeguarding Heritage Operation”.
UNIFIL and LAF, with Biladi and the Lebanese Directorate General of Antiquities (DGA), worked tirelessly to secure buildings such as the registered historic Ministry of Foreign Affairs Building, shown here in this DGA video.
Following the explosion, on Tuesday 27 October, 2020, Karl von Habsburg, former President of BSI, and Peter Stone, current President of BSI, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Stefano Del Col, UNIFIL’s Head of Mission Force Commander. The MoU consolidated and formalised the work we have been doing with them.
Areas of Cooperation are identified as:
(i) Providing a platform for raising awareness on the importance of cultural property protection, exchange of experience, building capacity of the military through sensitization sessions and other support to enable continuous outreach and raising awareness;
(ii) Conducting regular, and where possible, annual sensitization sessions on CPP for UNIFIL personnel and its national military and civil partners, where authorized.
A new round of training took place in July 2021 for 12 days, which included UNIFIL, LAF, and the DGA, along with Biladi and Blue Shield Lebanon. Participants learned about their responsibilities under international humanitarian law, in particular the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its two Protocols, and carried out field exercises at the Beirut National Museum and Jbeil archaeological site. Biladi were also excited to launch their new card deck to support awareness raising for cultural property protection.
Details of UNIFILs Mandate are found on UNIFIL’s website.
Read about the Blue Shield / UNIFIL / DGA action plan to preserve heritage sites during conflict on the UNIFIL website
Read more about the Beirut Blast
