THE ORGANIZATION
Development of the UNESCO Cultural Heritage Laws Database
In 2005, the United States Department of State offered UNESCO a grant to enhance the development of its Cultural Heritage Laws Database.
The UNESCO Cultural Heritage Laws Database
Looting, theft, illegal export and import, and illicit trafficking of cultural property are international problems affecting all States to various extents.
To better fight this problem, law-makers, police and customs officers, art and antiques dealers, especially in the international art market, as well as private individuals need to consult laws of a given state with regard to export, import and ownership of cultural property.
The UNESCO web-based Database provides quick international availability of national cultural heritage legislation in a centralized venue. Current laws of a source state can be consulted rapidly (for example, to determine whether the latter requires an export certificate for cultural objects, or vests ownership in the State of yet unexcavated – or illicitly excavated – cultural property).
Maintenance and update
The more accessible, complete and updated that the provided legislations are, the more effectively the Database will contribute to the protection of cultural heritage and the fight against illicit traffic. UNESCO needs resources to do this.
Assistance from the United States Department of State
In 2005, in order to assist UNESCO in updating and maintaining the Database, the United States Department of State provided UNESCO with a grant to be applied in the following areas: