23 to 26 March 2015, Gaborone, Botswana

Background

Inadequate documentation and lack of photographic inventories were identified, in previous workshops on combatting the illicit trafficking of cultural goods, as two of the most blatant weaknesses of the SADC Region’s museum sector.

The establishment of the Southern African Development Community Heritage Association (SADCHA) aims at providing SADC countries with relevant tools (such as information sharing, capacities strengthening, etc.) to address these issues. The workshop on “Moving SADC forward by combating the Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Heritage in Southern Africa” is held within the framework of the implementation of one the SADCHA’s 10 objectives set in 2014, one of which states that the Association would facilitate the organization of a regional workshop on Collections Management involving representatives of at least four SADC countries.

Objectives

The main objective of the workshop is to strengthen SADC countries capacities to combat the illicit trafficking of cultural goods in Southern Africa.

Specific objectives:

• officially launch SADCHA;
• advocate for the importance of ratifying the 1970 Convention as an efficient mean of preventing illicit trafficking of cultural goods;
• discuss strategies for strengthening collection management systems;
• develop strategies on how SADCHA could tackle theft and exportation of precious artifacts or cultural goods.

Participants

Heritage and museums professionals and law enforcement and government officials from the following 15 countries: Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Main partners

The International Council of Museums, UNIDROIT, Interpol and UNESCO are the main partners in this event. The workshop is being organized by the Botswana National Museum and SADC Heritage Association in partnership with the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa.