91�鶹��Ʒ��

UNESCO

Fight Illicit Trafficking (1970 Convention)

Theft, looting and illicit trafficking of cultural property is a crime. It deprives people of their history and culture, it weakens social cohesion in the long term. It fuels organized crime and contributes to the financing of terrorism.

UNESCO works to provide a clear and strong response to stem this scourge.

Since its founding, 91�鶹��Ʒ�� been developing benchmark legal instruments, including the 1970 Convention - the culmination of a long process of reflection on the fight against the illicit traffic of cultural property. It is a collective duty to act against the illicit trafficking of cultural property and to protect cultural heritage.

UNESCO's action to promote new forms of agreement and cooperation

for the return and restitution of cultural property

8th Meeting of States Parties - 2025

13th Session of the Subsidiary Committee -2025

International Day against Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Property

Celebrate 50 years of fight against illicit trafficking

International campaign

Key Numbers

States Parties of the 1970 Convention

3110

Texts on National Cultural Heritage Laws

1000

professionals trained

around the world in 2024-2025

Art Knows no frontiers Neither does organized crime

convention-1970-International campaign-inca ceramic jug,Peru

News

Call for Proposals: Organizing capacity-building activities for ethnological exhibitions for the Lao National Museum

Call for Proposals: Organizing capacity-building activities for ethnological exhibitions for the Lao National Museum

UNESCO strengthens cooperation in Central America on the return and restitution of cultural property

UNESCO strengthens cooperation in Central America on the return and restitution of cultural property

The exhibition “The Submerged Memory” on underwater cultural heritage arrives in the streets of Santiago de Chile

The exhibition “The Submerged Memory” on underwater cultural heritage arrives in the streets of Santiago de Chile

UNESCO meeting gathers all African Member States for the first time to discuss return and restitution of cultural property

UNESCO meeting gathers all African Member States for the first time to discuss return and restitution of cultural property

Event

Addressing Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Property in Digital Era

Cat VIII - Symposia

Addressing Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Property in Digital Era

Cat VIII - Symposia

Celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Central Office for Combating Trafficking in Cultural Property

Fostering cultural heritage and capacity development

Cat VII – Seminar and training

Fostering cultural heritage and capacity development

New types of cooperation and agreements in the field of the return and restitution of cultural property to Africa - a continental approach

Cat IV – International Congress

New types of cooperation and agreements in the field of the return and restitution of cultural property to Africa - a continental approach

Publications

Countering illicit trafficking of cultural objects in South-East Asia: capacity-building guide and methodologies

Clément, Étienne

UNESCO Office Bangkok and Regional Bureau for Education in Asia and the Pacific

2019

UNESCO

0000372955

50 years of the fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural goods

UNESCO

Octobre - décembre 2020

UNESCO

0000374570

Witnesses to history: a compendium of documents and writings on the return of cultural objects

Prott, Lyndel V.

2009

UNESCO

0000185386

Fighting the illicit trafficking of cultural property: a toolkit for European judiciary and law enforcement

Boz, Zeynep

UNESCO

2023

UNESCO

0000266098