Awareness Raising Material
Cultural heritage has a fundamental role to play for peace, for societies, to understand history and its complexity, and to overcome crises. Cultural heritage is one of the keys to the recovery and reconciliation. However, movable cultural heritage can be at risk of theft, excavations and illicit trafficking, depriving people of their memory, their identity and their history.
It is our collective responsibility to protect cultural heritage. 91Â鶹¹ú²ú¾«Æ·×ÔÅÄ long led global efforts in this field, notably through the Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership, adopted in 1970.
Training Materials
Factsheet on the importance of the 1970 Convention
Please see the Factsheet on the importance of the 1970 Convention and fighting against the illicit trafficking of cultural property, alongside key initiatives and tools here.
Seminars
On a regular basis, UNESCO organizes regional or national information and promotion seminars, aimed at a better understanding of the concepts, measures and mechanisms of its normative instruments. Training activities are comprised of three elements: a legal component, an operational component, and an educational and awareness-raising programme.
The Secretariat provides a number of Legal and practical instruments answering specific questions regarding the illicit trafficking of cultural property.
Main objectives
- To develop capacities regarding the prevention and fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural property as well as the restitution of stolen or illegally exported objects,
- To establish preventive measures for inventories of cultural objects (whether archaeological or not),
- To raise awareness on the need to adopt an effective national legislation and to develop international cooperation in this area,
- To develop networks at local, national and regional levels to ensure general awareness of the dramatic consequences of trafficking of cultural property on the impoverishment of the population.
Participants
- Experts in the field of culture (museum managers and/or curators, archaeologists, etc.),
- Custom officials,
- Police units,
- Government officials (ministries of culture, tourism, interior and foreign affairs, etc.).
For more information see here.
Comics
A series of comics aimed at raising awareness among the youth on illicit trafficking of cultural property was produced by UNESCO.
- In different countries of the Maghreb, by the UNESCO office in Rabat, the UNESCO 1970 Convention Secretariat and with the generous financial contribution of the Spanish Government.
The publication is only available in French and Arabic languages.
Algeria: FR | AR
Morocco: FR | AR
Mauritania: FR | AR
Tunisia: FR | AR
- In Peru
Peru: SP
The publication is only available in Spanish
Information Booklet
This booklet was created on the occasion of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 1970 Convention, as part of the strengthening of mechanisms to fight against illicit trafficking of cultural property in West and Central Africa (WCA).
Developed by the UNESCO Regional Office in Dakar and its partners, this booklet is an information tool to guide customs officers and other law enforcement and security officials in the identification and management of cases of seizure of cultural properties.
The publication is only available in French.