Although the illicit traffic of cultural goods cannot be scaled through exact figures, it is one of the main criminal activities in the world, along with the illicit weapons' and drugs' trade. Besides being a crime against the history and identity of the concerned communities, as well as of the entire humanity, the illicit trafficking of cultural property is increasingly intertwined with other serious transnational criminal activities and networks. Today, the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural property remains a priority on the political agenda about culture of the South-East European countries.

NESCO and Italy joined hands and trained in Rome officials from the national authorities for culture, police and customs of The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. This year, the workshop will benefit Albania