The Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict:

the Austrian Model and the Role of Military Academies

in Research and Teaching

Karl von Habsburg-Lothringen

Friedrich T. Schipper

Austrian National Committee of the Blue Shield

• The Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict – including its two Protocols (The Hague, 1954 and 1999)

• basis for all cultural property protection measures in armed conflicts

• currently ca. 130 states as party • protection of cultural property is

an ethical and moral obligation to everybody - consequently also to military personnel- esp. to military leaders

• the “Blue Shield” is the official emblem of the convention

The Hague Convention

• Research: is by its nature connected to interdisciplinary projects in cultural property protection matters. In analogy to civilian research, also military research is only capable of meeting the expectations by applying an interdisciplinary and comprehensive approach.

• Teaching: pedagogical and educational science-related consequences have to result from this research

Two different military academic conducts

• The protection of cultural property is a task that has to be fulfilled in times of peace. Starting cultural property protection measures in time of armed conflict is too late, since other problems then have higher priority.

• The protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict has to be a part of the military doctrine drafted by political authorities. It can then be transferred into military “Rules of Engagement”. On the basis of these “Rules of Engagement” orders can be carried out.

• The military needs clear “Rules of Engagement”, instructions and orders given by the society and politics, because it acts upon orders!

• Cultural property protection has to be implemented into general military training as well as into planning and execution of military missions.

• CULTURAL PROPERTY PROTECTION OFFICERS have to be deployed in all branches of the Armed Forces

Military Doctrines and RoE

• After ratifying the HC in 1964 – referring to Art. 7 (HC) – Austria established a CPP-system in the Armed Forces on territorial level and in the MoD

• “Cultural Property Protection Officer”, or “Liaison Officer for the Protection of Cultural Property” (LO/PCP),

• provision for experts and services (referring to article 7/ Military Measures and article 25/ Dissemination of the Hague Convention) in the Ministry.

• selection of high level personnel with experience in education and teaching,

• with knowledge of: law – especially international law, • history, art and cultural affairs • but also structural engineers are helpful • connection between civil expertise and military function• very important: they should have a sure instinct in

communicating with other people especially with civil organizations.

Implementation of the Conventionin the Armed Forces

• In the Austrian Armed Forces only Militia (cf. Reserve) officers are deployed as CPPOs.

• No regular officers are deployed as CPPOs.

• civil expertise!

Cultural Property Protection Officers Selection of Personnel

Cultural Property Protection Officers Training and Career

• Career of a CPPO: from Cpt. to Col.• starting after 16 years of service at Cpt.- level• Basic course CPP / 1 week• Continuing education system: annual course CPP / 1 week• Staff course 1 / 5 weeks – Mjr.• Academic career: scientific thesis, diploma – Col. • Holding training seminars for civil experts and soldiers• Special education for special functions (e.g. languages)• Highest ranked CPPO: Brig.Gen. in the MoD

Cultural Property Protection Officers Main Functions

• securing and keeping respect for cultural property as assistants/advisors and specialists of their command and commanders (e.g. to give information about property in the area, distance of troops and weapons to cultural property etc.).

• providing for and realizing of training and instruction programmes for troops and their commanders.

• keeping contact with civilian authorities (such as the Department for Monuments, churches, monasteries, province and district authorities etc.) and with various individual persons.

• Informing military headquarters and responsible offices about the general civilian situation and civil operational measures

• Defending military interests, when dealing with civil authorities and officials

• Providing information about the general military situation and military operational measures

• Advising civilian authorities and officials in military matters• Transmitting civilian requests to military headquarters and

responsible offices• Assisting in the elaboration of respective alert and operations

plans as well as of basic materials, in the course of the general and specific operations preparation

• Providing defence-political information to civilian authorities and officials

Cultural Property Protection Officers Responsibilities

• Military Cultural Property Protection Centre of Competence• separation between the operational and the scientific aspects• to develop the fundamentals for the training of LO/PCP, • to elaborate curricula in cooperation with the offices in charge• to contribute to internationalising the standards and action

plans and to facilitating an international exchange of experiences

• main source of information for the highest military echelon• from “Lessons Learned” to “Learning Army”

Consequences

Austrian National Committee of the Blue Shield

c/o Austrian UNESCO Commission

Universitätsstraße 5, 1010 Vienna, Austria, EU

Email: blueshield@blueshield.at

Website : http://www.blueshield.at