The Blue Shield of Iceland is officially established.

The National Committee of the Blue Shield was formally established on 24 October, United Nations Day, at the National Museum of Iceland. It brought together a large group of people working on the preservation of cultural heritage, along with representatives from the Civil Protection Agency, the Icelandic Civil Protection Agency, ministries and the Red Cross, and the Blue Shield has been called the Red Cross of Cultural Heritage.

 

The International Committee of the Blue Shield was established in 1996 to work towards the protection of cultural heritage at risk from natural disasters and armed conflict. The aim of the Blue Shield is to work towards the protection of the world’s cultural heritage by coordinating emergency response plans. The International Committee of the Blue Shield is based on the Hague Convention of 1954. The International Committee of the Blue Shield is based in Paris, but national committees operate around the world.

The name Blue Shield refers to the blue colour of the emblem used to identify cultural heritage sites protected under the Hague Convention. The Blue Shield, which has been called the Red Cross of Cultural Heritage, advises UNESCO and other international organisations and brings together experts with a wide range of expertise in the field of cultural heritage conservation. It enables the organisation to collect and share information on threats to cultural heritage sites worldwide, advise on appropriate measures in the event of armed conflict or natural disasters, and deploy experts to the scene. 

The founders of the Blue Shield are international associations of libraries, archives, and cultural heritage museums; IFLA – International Federation of Library Associations, ICA – International Council on Archives, ICOM – International Council of Museums, and ICOMOS – International Council of Monuments and Sites.

The Icelandic chapters of ICOM, ICOMOS and representatives of IFLA, ICA in Iceland have decided to join forces and establish the National Committee of the Blue Shield of Iceland. With this, these organizations want to encourage collaboration between institutions responsible for cultural heritage, as well as the government, municipalities and the Civil Protection on prevention and response to disasters, so that the safety of cultural heritage can be ensured in the event of a threat. 

For further information, please contact Njörður Sigurðsson, chairman of the Blue Shield National Committee, or Kristín Dagmar at 6979810.

The website of the International Blue Shield Committee can be accessed here.