After calls early last year to form a UN peacekeeping force to protect heritage sites worldwide, UNESCO and the Italian government have signed an agreement to establish a taskforce focused on the conservation of cultural heritage affected by crises around the world.

Italy’s minister for culture, Dario Franceschini, made the call for “blue helmets of culture” – referring to uniforms worn by UN peacekeepers – in March last year following a spate of destruction of cultural heritage from the Islamic State (ISIS).

Iraq and Syria’s heritage in particular has been at the mercy of ISIS as the terrorist group wages war on the Middle East. ISIS has levelled entire ancient cities on its warpath. Among the cultural casualties have been the 13th century BC city of Nimrud, the fortress city of Hatra and the ancient city of Palmyra.

Under the new agreement, Italy will make its experts readily available for deployment on matters related to the conservation of cultural heritage in crises.

The new strategy reinforces UNESCO’s mandate to protect cultural heritage and promote cultural diversity and pluralism. The body has also called on its member states to contribute to the strategy, specifically in terms of rapid response and deployment of national expertise in emergency situations.

“The agreement is a major and innovative step in our effort to gain recognition for the importance of cultural heritage in cementing identity, building social cohesion and fostering resilience in times of crisis,” said UNESCO’s director-general, Irina Bokova. “We must continue to press for the inclusion of cultural heritage protection in all of our humanitarian and peace efforts.”