Raising Public Awareness
The US Committee of the Blue Shield works to raise public awareness about the importance of cultural property as the shared heritage of all humankind. USCBS and its Board members participate in conferences, symposia, and other events throughout the world. We hold an annual meeting that is open to the public and participated in the American Red Cross essay and artwork competition for high school and college students on cultural property protection in 2022.
Organization
USCBS coordinates with the U.S. military, U.S. government, and cultural heritage organizations to protect cultural property worldwide during armed conflict.
Cultural Heritage Inventories
One of the main activities of USCBS has been the creation of cultural heritage inventories of protected cultural sites. These inventories prioritize the sites according to their significance and include relevant coordinates for each site and aid in the development of no-strike lists. The information has also been useful in site selection, evaluation, and assessment for military engineering construction and civil affairs projects.
Military Training
At the time of its founding, one of the primary goals of USCBS was the training of U.S. troops to recognize their obligation to protect cultural property as required by the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.
Emergencies
USCBS coordinates with the U.S. military, U.S. government, and cultural heritage organizations to protect cultural property worldwide during armed conflict and natural disasters.