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The International Committee of the Blue Shield (ICBS) was founded in 1996 "to work to protect the world's cultural heritage threatened by wars and natural disasters". It has been described as the "Cultural Red Cross", and its name derives from the usage of the blue shield as specified in the 1954 Hague Convention on Protection of Cultural Property in Armed Conflict.
Overview
The ICBS consists of representatives from five organizations:
The interim Chair of ICBS is Hanna Pennock, who is also acting director general of the International Council of Museums (ICOM). Furthermore, since the establishment of the Blue Shield, a number of National Blue Shield Committees have been formed in various countries, leading to the December 2008 establishment of the Association of National Committees of the Blue Shield (ANCBS). Since December 2008, the president of the ANCBS has been Karl von Habsburg.
In the United States, the National Committee of the Blue Shield is the U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield (USCBS).