The Founding Conference of the Association of National Committees of the Blue Shield (ANCBS)

Netherlands, Hague, 6-8 December 2008

The representatives of institutions for the protection of cultural heritage from the entire world gathered in The Hague at the Founding Conference of the Association of National Committees of the Blue Shield (ANCBS), with a view to coordinating and strengthening the international efforts to protect cultural assets from being destroyed during armed conflicts or natural disasters.

The goals of the Conference were to present new developments in the ANCBS organisation, establish a Coordination Centre based in The Hague, and to encourage and enable close cooperation between the ANCBS national boards.

The following persons attended the Conference on behalf of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments:

Mirzah Fočo, Assistant to the Executive Officer in charge of the heritage, and

Alisa Marjanović, Associate for historical monuments and focal point UNESCO.

Goals of the Conference

Day I:

• The founding of ANCBS,

• Election of the ANCBS Board and official start of the Coordination Centre in The Hague, which will stimulate and coordinate initiatives coming from national committees.

• Mr. Karl Habsburg-Lothringen from Austria was elected Chairman of the Board and the remaining members are representatives of the national boards of six countries.

Day II:

• Strengthening the network between ANCBS and other institutions and providing urgent help to the organisations and institutions that are responsible for cultural heritage.

Day III:

• Reports by national committees and other institutions

• Workshops aimed at improving the knowledge and skills of the participants. Date: Tuesday, 9 December 2008.

On behalf of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mirzah Fočo presented the activities of the Commission aimed at protecting the heritage that was demolished during the war. Examples of devastation were presented, as well as the methodology that had been applied during the protection works. The presentation was very successful.

WORKSHOPS

Workshop: A Practical Guide to Cultural Properties Training

Ms. Barbara Roberts (American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works) and Ms. Cori Wegener (President, BS-USA)

The workshop presented the way in which the American Board had developed a successful training programme for the U.S. Army.

Training: Teambuilding

Ms. Aparna Tandon (ICCROM)

Mr. Gerrit de Bruin (National Archive)

Content: Planning and implementing effective operations, forming of teams, problems – lack of resources and information. Important aspect – teamwork and teambuilding, i.e. several groups of people coming from different organisations. Teamwork for Integrated Management.

Workshop: What to expect from the military in times of disaster

Lieutenant Colonel (R) DRS René Teijgeler, Chairman 1CIMIC Bat (NLD A)

Content: The relationship between civil society and the military

1) What can the military do in times of disaster on a national level?

2) What can the military do in times of disaster on an international level?

Training: Preparing institutions for emergencies

Ms. Marja Peek (The Netherlands Institute for Cultural Heritage)

Mr. Michiel Leijenaar (Mauritshuis)

Content: This training is focused on emergency preparedness – primarily for the protection of collections.

Workshop: ANCBS organisation

Mr. Leif Pareli (Chair of the International ANCBS Working Group)

Content: Goals of the ANCBS organisation

Workshop: Legislation

Mr. Dick Jackson (Special Assistant for Law of War Matters – U.S. Army)

Ms. Marja van Heese (Inspector of the Dutch State Inspectorate for Cultural Heritage)

A number of contacts were made during the Conference.