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Civil Protection

Organisation

Organisation

Confederation

The Swiss federal government ensures that its own cultural property receives the necessary protection. It also provides support for the cantons, helping them to coordinate and implement the measures that have been planned. In particular the Confederation issues directives and guidelines for specialised training, and itself sees to the training of a cultural property protection management team. The federal government also provides subsidies for precautionary measures, to ensure the protection of cultural property including buildings and other types of property of national or regional importance. The competent authority in this case is the section in charge of the protection of cultural property within the Federal Office for Civil Protection.
The Swiss Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property serves as an advisory body to the Confederation, to the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports, and to the Federal Office for Civil Protection. The Committee has a maximum membership of 25 persons, all with a particular interest in the protection of cultural property.

Implementation is the responsibility of the cantons in all cases where responsibility does not lie directly with the Confederation. They are expected to contribute financially to the protection of cultural property and to take the following measures:
  • Create the necessary legislative framework at the cantonal level
  • Designate an office responsible for the protection of cultural property
  • Draw up an inventory of cultural property
  • Create documentation for the safeguarding of cultural property
  • Determine what form of organisation is required for the protection of cultural property at the local level
  • Train the staff responsible for the protection of cultural property
  • Plan the building of shelters for the protection of cultural property.


Municipalities

  • Building of shelters to protect cultural property
  • Arranging for suitable staff
  • Organising refresher courses for staff involved in the protection of cultural property
  • Implementation of the planned measures with due notification.


Responsibilities of possessors of cultural property

  • Ensuring that the cultural property in their care are well known
  • Preparing documentation for the safeguarding of cultural property or seeing to it that this is done
  • Planning ways to protect cultural property.


Responsibilities of the army

The most important obligation of military personnel is to treat cultural property with due respect. It is the duty of officers in the field to ensure that, in carrying out war-related tasks those under their command ensure the best possible protection for cultural property. This means above all providing all relevant information and cooperating with the competent civilian authorities.

Matters that have to do with the protection of cultural property will be in the care of two special officers, namely the officer in charge of laws and conventions on the army general staff, and by the head of the legal section for the field divisions and brigades. In the divisions, brigades, regiments and battalions, the protection of cultural property will be in the hands of adjutants.

 

For questions about this page: FOCP Communications

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