Italy’s Blue Helmets of Culture are on standby for Unesco

The Italian government and Unesco have launched a Turin-based task force that will protect heritage sites in conflict zones worldwide. The foreign minister Paolo Gentiloni and Irina Bokova, the director-general of Unesco, signed an agreement in Rome on 16 February which will see the creation of the peacekeeping force, dubbed the Blue Helmets of Culture. The task force may be called on by Unesco member states to assess damage, to plan conservation efforts, and to combat looting and trafficking in cases of terrorist attack or natural disaster. It will also provide training for local restorers. An initial core of 60 members includes officers from Italy’s specialist police force for art crime, the Comando Carabinieri per la Tutela del Patrimonio Culturale, as well as art historians, scholars and restorers from four of the country’s top conservation institutions. University professors may be able to volunteer to join in the future. A training centre will be based in Turin.