Workshop 6: Proactive Planning for the Protection of Archival Heritage in Crisis – From International Law to Practice

This workshop will begin with a brief overview of the recommendations in international law to protect cultural heritage in crisis, in particular this 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. Although designed for armed conflict, the recommendations are equally valuable in other types of crisis, such as riots and terrorism. But how do those threats differ to the more-commonly considered risks from disasters? And what does that mean in practice?

Working in small groups, workshop attendees will complete a number of small exercises designed to develop awareness of the threats to archival heritage in crisis and some of the best ways to proactively mitigate them (rather than conservation, or post-disaster first aid).

Workshop Aims:

  1. To develop understanding of international law and its relevance to heritage protection
  2. To develop understanding of the threats to heritage in crisis, particularly violence-based threats, such as riots, terrorism and conflict
  3. To develop understanding of some key measures to mitigate threats and to conduct simple mitigation exercises

Instructor: Emma Cunliffe, Research Associate, Cultural Property Protection and Peace, Newcastle University; Secretary, UK Blue Shield; Secretariat, Blue Shield International – Newcastle, United Kingdom
(Workshop Recording – Original)    (Workshop Recording – English Interpretation)