UNESCO and the Government of Brazil promote an international capacity-building workshop to combat the illicit trafficking of cultural property

To strengthen training and cooperation in countries in Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa, UNESCO and the Government of Brazil, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE), the Institute of National Historical and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN), and the Brazilian Institute of Museums (IBRAM), will hold, between the 2nd and 4th of October, in Rio de Janeiro, the Regional Capacity-Building Workshop Fighting the Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Property and Promoting Museums.

The illicit trafficking of cultural property deprives populations and countries of their history and fuels money laundering, tax evasion, and the financing of terrorist activities. Combating this practice requires strong mobilization of responsible actors, through regional and international cooperation. This phenomenon is particularly serious in the Global South, where it is necessary to strengthen capacities and create cross-border networks to protect its rich movable heritage, especially archaeological objects.

UNESCO and its partners have been working for more than 50 years against the illicit trafficking of cultural property within the scope of the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export, and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. This joint effort ensured that the trafficking of cultural goods was placed on the agenda of the G20 in Rome in 2021, in addition to becoming one of the priorities of the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development (MONDIACULT), which took place in Mexico in 2022.

By holding this workshop, UNESCO and the Government of Brazil hope to raise awareness among professionals in the field about the need to protect cultural heritage, equip them with the necessary skills to combat this practice, and facilitate the return and restitution of cultural assets, in addition, to promote the creation of regional networks to facilitate the exchange of information and the seizure of illicitly trafficked property.

For three days, experts from Brazil and thirteen other countries will debate aspects of the international normative instruments that deal with the topic and exchange experiences on what has been done to contain the spread of this illicit activity. On the agenda for debate are normative instruments such as the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export, and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, the 2015 Recommendation Concerning the Protection and Promotion of Museums and Collections, and the 1995 Convention of UNIDROIT on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects.

Participants will discuss the international and regional context, as well as the role of museum and heritage professionals, judicial, police, and customs institutions in prohibiting and preventing illicit trafficking of cultural goods. Also on the agenda will be the Code of Ethics of the International Council of Museums (ICOM), international standards for identifying objects, and rules for the inventory, handling, and storage of cultural assets.