08-12-2008 PRESS RELEASE

FOUNDING CONFERENCE IN THE HAGUE - DECEMBER 7-9th 2008

ANCBS | AN ORGANIZATION FOR PROTECTION OF CULTURE IN DANGER

Representatives of cultural heritage institutes from all over the world met in The Hague at the Founding Conference of the ANCBS – The Association of National Committees of the Blue Shield, with the purpose of coordinating and strengthening international efforts to protect cultural property at risk of destruction during armed conflicts or natural disasters.

Sunday 7^th, 11 National Blue Shield Committees established the ANCBS organization. An international board was elected, chaired by Karl Habsburg-Lothringen from Austria with members from 6 countries. They identified the following priorities: coordinating and strengthening international efforts to protect cultural property at risk, providing and promoting cultural heritage protection training programs and awareness raising with international and governmental decision makers on the importance of the 1954 Hague Convention and its Protocols and the international symbol of the Blue Shield.

The Blue Shield is the protective emblem of the 1954 Hague Convention which is the basic international treaty formulating rules to protect cultural heritage during armed conflict. The Blue Shield network consists of organizations dealing with museums, archives, libraries and historical monuments and sites, cooperating through the International Committee of the Blue Shield (ICBS).

During the conference they discussed their plans and activities to strengthen the network between Blue Shield and other cultural emergency assistance organizations, institutions and authorities that are responsible for cultural heritage. Tuesday the 9^th offered a variety of training courses in concurrent sessions to improve the knowledge and skills of the conference participants.

The ANCBS will have its headquarters in The Hague. The city is generously supporting the new organization through its initial phase with office space and an annual contribution.

The ANCBS office can be reached: 00 31 (0) 70 346 6161 or contact@ancbs.org

Website : http://www.ancbs.org

Press contact : Marjan Otter 06-46015104

The Founding Conference of the Association of National Committees of the Blue Shield (ANCBS) will be held in The Hague on the dates 7th, 8th and 9th of December 2008 and you are cordially invited to participate. Conference programme and all informations are now available on our Website at http://www.ancbs.org.