The Fight against Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Property – Meetings of the 1970 Convention States Parties and Subsidiary Committee - 20 to 23 May 2019 , UNESCO

Illicit trafficking of cultural property is a crime fought on the local, national and international levels. To combat it effectively, the combined efforts of multiple actors, strong legislation and targeted preventive measures are crucial. 

UNESCO’s 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property is an essential component in combating illicit trafficking, and the Parties to the Convention meet every two years.   The Fifth Meeting of States Parties will take place on 20 and 21 May 2019 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. The meeting will focus on ways to strengthen the implementation, efficiency and visibility of the Convention, and showcase good practices. In addition, 9 new Members of the Subsidiary Committee will be elected. The agenda and working documents can be found here.

Government authorities, police and customs officials, lawyers, representatives of the art market and museum directors are among those who will join UNESCO specialists for Seventh Session of the Subsidiary Committee of the Meeting of States Parties to the 1970 Convention, on 22 and 23 May. The meeting will cover topics such as due diligence, cooperation with the Art Market, the return and restitution framework of the 1970 Convention, and developments in international cooperation with INTERPOL, World Customs Organization, the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law, and the International Council of Museums.  Full information about the meeting, including the provisional agenda, can be found here.