Ethical Principles and APPROACH
Ethical Principles |
Blue Shield UK follows the ethical principles of the Blue Shield Movement. We are an independent, impartial, neutral organisation, focused on the protection of cultural heritage in armed conflicts and disasters.
The Blue Shield's commitment to protect cultural property is framed in the context of the ethical principles set out in our Strasbourg Charter. We adhere to:
- neutrality
- independence
- joint action
- professionalism
- respect of cultural identity, and we
- work on a not-for-profit basis.
Blue Shield UK will work towards the goal of heritage protection where its support is requested by a nation state or warring faction. We respect the principles of international humanitarian law under which we operate, and encourage others to do likewise.
Building on the firm belief that cultural heritage is inseparable from people, Blue Shield UK always puts the needs of people before the protection of cultural property.
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The Blue Shield believes that the protection of CP is essentially inseparable from the protection of people and their human rights, in particular in the context of international humanitarian law (IHL), which pertains exclusively to armed conflict. In this context, the lives of active combatants, and of those who are no longer willing or able to fight, are no less paramount than the lives of civilians caught up in conflict zones. The Blue Shield understands that our commitment to the protection of human life and CP may in extremis require the loss of heritage in order to end a conflict as quickly as possible whilst minimising the loss of lives of both civilians and soldiers. In this context, the Blue Shield upholds the principles of necessity, proportionality, and humanity, which lie at the heart of IHL. Our ApProach |
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Our primary context is the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its two Protocols of 1954 and 1999, which are considered to be part of International Humanitarian Law. IHL, also known as the Law of War or Law of Armed Conflict, is a set of rules which seek, for humanitarian reasons, to limit the effects of armed conflict on people and property. This primary context is also informed by a number of other international legal instruments, by the international cultural protection agenda as set by the UN and UNESCO, and by international initiatives regarding environmental disaster such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Although the 1954 Hague Convention and its two Protocols refer to cultural property, recognising the developments in our understanding of culture across the world, and the different ways it manifests, the Blue Shield deals with the broader concept of cultural heritage.
The complex emergency situations in which the Blue Shield may operate requires close collaboration between the cultural heritage sector, relevant international and national government agencies, armed forces, other uniformed services, and other official voluntary NGOs.
If cultural property protection relating to armed conflict, peacekeeping missions, or environmental disaster is to be effective, it is essential to have an effective partnership between the Blue Shield and potential partners. In order for this to happen, everyone involved in cultural property protection must work together, and all must educate and train for their role in cultural property protection in relation to both armed conflict (where they have particular legal responsibilities) and environmental disaster (when they are called upon frequently to help as first responders following disasters).
The complex emergency situations in which the Blue Shield may operate requires close collaboration between the cultural heritage sector, relevant international and national government agencies, armed forces, other uniformed services, and other official voluntary NGOs.
If cultural property protection relating to armed conflict, peacekeeping missions, or environmental disaster is to be effective, it is essential to have an effective partnership between the Blue Shield and potential partners. In order for this to happen, everyone involved in cultural property protection must work together, and all must educate and train for their role in cultural property protection in relation to both armed conflict (where they have particular legal responsibilities) and environmental disaster (when they are called upon frequently to help as first responders following disasters).
Read more about cultural property protection and ethics of the Blue Shield on the BSI website and in its Document Library.
Read Blue Shield’s historic Charters and Declarations in the Document Library of the BSI website.
Read Blue Shield’s historic Charters and Declarations in the Document Library of the BSI website.