The Hague Convention of UNESCO on the Protection of Cultural Property
In December 2022, Iceland ratified UNESCO's 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. Parties to the Convention are committed to protecting cultural property in the event of an armed conflict, but also carry out preventive work in peacetime, for example, by registering cultural property and creating risk assessments and response plans.
Response Plans for Collection Items
According to law, the Museum Council supervises and sets rules for museum facilities, including security matters for accredited museums. The Museum Council follows up on this task with regard to accredited museums, with the guiding principle of promoting professional museum practices in the preservation of Iceland's cultural and natural heritage and ensuring that it is passed on intact to future generations.
Prevention and response plans play a key role in securing our cultural heritage for the future, and it is therefore important that every museum has an Emergency Operations Plan that outlines how an impending threat will be responded to in order to avert disasters.
Cultural institutions should prepare response plans in case of a threat. Recognized museums will tailor the project to address the threats that may pose a danger to Icelandic cultural heritage.
In 2024, the project with the museums began, following preparatory work the previous year. Museums are worked with by region, both so that they can seek support from one another and work together on preventive measures for risks that may be specific to a particular area. Museums are invited to participate in an online course led by Nathalie Jacqueminet, conservator, where a select group of museums participates in response planning. By the end of the course, the museums have a response plan and risk assessment in hand, which are then reviewed and updated regularly.
Museum representatives receive detailed promotional materials and a guide on creating response plans for museums, in addition to access to a consultation with the country's leading expert in museum prevention and response planning.