Partners

The Blue Shield is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation acting globally for the protection of heritage, both tangible and intangible, in emergency situations. The work of BS with NGOs, governmental bodies, and military forces is underpinned by international law, in particular the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its two Protocols (1954 and 1999). It is formed from fusion of the International Committee of the Blue Shield (ICBS) (founded in 1996) and the Association of National Committees of the Blue Shield (ANCBS) (founded in 2006), and is a legally recognized advisory body to UNESCO regarding cultural property protection in armed conflict according to the 1999 Second Protocol. Blue Shield International facilitates the sharing of information and expertise among the National Committees of the Blue Shield spread all over the world.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), established in 1863, works worldwide to provide humanitarian help for people affected by conflict and armed violence and to promote the laws that protect victims of war. An independent and neutral organization, its mandate stems essentially from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. Based in Geneva (Switzerland), it employs some 12,000 people in 80 countries; it is financed mainly by voluntary donations from governments and from national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies.

The International Council of Museum (ICOM) is an organization created in 1946 by and for museum professionals. It is a unique network of more than 30,000 members and museum professionals who represent the global museum community. It constitutes a diplomatic forum made up of experts from 136 countries and territories to respond to the challenges museums face worldwide. ICOM has a consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and counts 114 National Committees and 31 International Committees dedicated to various museum specialties.

The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) is a non-governmental international organisation dedicated to the conservation of the world's monuments and sites. It is a network of experts that benefits from the interdisciplinary exchange of its members, among which are architects, historians, archaeologists, art historians, geographers, anthropologists, engineers and town planners. The members of ICOMOS contribute to improving the preservation of heritage, the standards and the techniques for each type of cultural heritage property: buildings, historic cities, cultural landscapes and archaeological sites.

The International Institute of Humanitarian Law (IIHL) is an independent, non-profit, humanitarian organization founded in 1970. Its headquarters are situated in Villa Ormond, Sanremo (Italy). The main purpose of the Institute is to promote international humanitarian law, human rights, refugee law and related issues.