Fighting the Illicit Traffic of Cultural Property

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Intended Audience

Cultural heritage professionals, law enforcement agencies, judiciary

Z. Boz, UNESCO

2023

“Preventing the illicit trafficking of cultural objects is a fundamental necessity for the protection of cultural heritage. Fighting this crime requires specific knowledge and experience of international legal tools, including their practical implementation. Most importantly, in order to cooperate efficiently on this matter, all actors involved in mitigating the illicit trafficking of cultural property must be well-prepared. Any loss of time only serves to favour the smugglers while undermining cultural heritage, science and hope. This manual aims to provide the basic reference documents, together with practical tools developed by the relevant international or regional governmental or non-governmental organizations (NGOs), organs and mechanisms…

The protection of cultural property is an undertaking that is generally associated with cultural heritage professionals such as archaeologists, art historians, anthropologists and museum professionals. However, when this protection becomes a legal obligation and contrary actions are criminalized, the responsibility to ensure the application of the law rests with the law enforcement agencies and the judiciary. In this regard, this manual also aims to provide fundamental information on the principal actors in this fight: the police, gendarmerie, customs, prosecutors and judges. The examples and exercises included in this study offer practical steps to complement the theoretical information provided in the legal texts, and to initiate interaction during training.” (p.14)

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SDGs LINKAGES

The resource can be used to support activity for several targets in goal 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions), including 16.3 (promoting the rule of law), 16.4 (combatting illicit flows, strengthening the recover and return of stolen assets, and combating all forms of organized crime), 16.6 (effective, accountable and transparent institutions), 16.10 (protecting fundamental freedoms) and 16.B (promote laws and policies for sustainable development). Preventing illicit trade and trafficking of objects made from protected species supports SDGs 15.7 (end poaching) and 15.C (provide support to end poaching), as well as 15.5 (end degradation of nature) and 11.4 (protect the world’s cultural and natural heritage). Using the resource to support public education and awareness programmes supports SDGs 4.7 (Education for Sustainable Development) and 12.8 (information for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature). The resource can help staff be effective in developing education and awareness-raising programmes to combat the illegal wildlife trade, supporting SDG 4.4. Ensuring tourism does not contribute to illicit trafficking also supports SDG 8.9 (sustainable tourism). Partnerships at international and within-country levels support SDGs 17.16 and 17.17 respectively.

Click on the SDG Target to discover Our Collections Matter indicators

SDG 4.4: Increase the Number of People with Relevant Skills for Financial Success
Our Collections Matter indicators:
Number of young people and adults in skills-development activities and programmes drawing on collections, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.
Increase in number of young people and adults in such programmes.
Number and proportion of staff who have received training in the last year, to better support their contribution to the SDGs.
Programs and processes in place to ensure the availability of a skilled workforce.
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SDG 4.7: Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship
Our Collections Matter indicators:
Numbers of people in each type of programme drawing on collections from different demographic groups.
Increases in numbers of people in each type of programme from different demographic groups.
Proportion of people involved in such programmes in relation to overall audience size.
Evidence that learners have acquired knowledge and skills to promote sustainable development.
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SDG 8.9: Promote Beneficial and Sustainable Tourism
Our Collections Matter indicators:
Numbers of jobs created or supported that relate to sustainable tourism drawing on local products (e.g. craft producers).
Develop and implement plans to reduce and remove negative impacts of tourism.
Numbers of activities and/or products drawing on local culture.
Value to artisans and source communities of activities and products drawing on local culture.
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SDG 11.4: Protect the Worlds Cultural and Natural Heritage
Our Collections Matter indicators:
Total expenditure (public and private) per capita spent on the preservation, protection and conservation of all cultural and natural heritage, by type of heritage.
Plans, policies and procedures in place for the safe use of collections for a variety of purposes, protecting and safeguarding both collections and those who use them.
Plans, policies and procedures in place for the identification, safeguarding and protection of cultural and natural heritage at risk.
Collecting programmes in place to protect, safeguard and make use of cultural and natural heritage, addressing the needs of communities and stakeholders, and ensuring that collections can be an effective resource for sustainable development.
Number and diversity of educational, awareness-raising, research programmes, and partnerships that aim to strengthen protection of cultural and natural heritage.
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SDG 12.8: Promote Universal Understanding of Sustainable Lifestyles
Our Collections Matter indicators:
Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development (including climate change education) are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment.
Extent to which global citizenship education and education for sustainable development (including climate change education) are mainstreamed in formal, informal and non-formal education programmes and activities drawing on and related to collections.
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SDG 15.5: Protect Biodiversity and Natural Habitats
Our Collections Matter indicators:
Number and proportion of habitats, notably endangered habitats, and species with favourable conservation status, with special reference to locally, nationally and globally endangered species.
Information on, programmes relating to, collections development, and partnerships relating to habitats and species drawing on collections in place, to support their protection and continued existence.
Measures taken to enhance biodiversity value of green space associated with collections institutions.
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SDG 15.7: Eliminate Poaching and Trafficking of Protected Species
Our Collections Matter indicators:
Policies and plans in place to ensure objects and specimens of protected species (for example ivory, rhino horn) in collections are protected against theft and do not enter supply chains.
Policies and plans in place to ensure that objects and specimens are only acquired in line with national and international legislation, or with legal dispensation.
Information on, programmes relating to, collections development, and partnerships relating to poached and trafficked species, notably protected and endangered species, to end poaching and trafficking.
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SDG 15.C: Combat Global Poaching and Trafficking
Our Collections Matter indicators:
Policies and plans in place to ensure objects and specimens of protected species (for example ivory, rhino horn) in collections are protected against theft and do not enter supply chains.
Policies and plans in place to ensure that objects and specimens are only acquired in line with national and international legislation, or with legal dispensation.
Revenue generated to combat poaching and trafficking of protected species, and to support local communities to pursue sustainable livelihoods.
Direct financial support given to projects and organisations to combat poaching and trafficking of protected species, and to support local communities to pursue sustainable livelihoods.
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SDG 16.3: Promote the Rule of Law and Ensure Equal Access to Justice
Our Collections Matter indicators:
Collections development that relates to the rule of law, equality before the law, and justice for all.
Number of activities drawing on collections, for example educational, research and partnership activities, that promote the rule of law at national and international levels, and that promote a culture of lawfulness, and the right of all to justice.
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SDG 16.4: Combat Organized Crime and Illicit Financial and Arms Flows
Our Collections Matter indicators:
Identification of stolen assets, return of stolen assets.
Collections development, education, awareness-raising and partnership activities relating to organized crime, with a view to combatting organized crime everywhere.
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SDG 16.6: Develop Effective Accountable and Transparent Institutions
Our Collections Matter indicators:
Proportion of the population [audience/users/non-users] satisfied with their last experience of public services.
Access to information, and accountability policies and mechanisms, in place.
Effective institutional arrangements, both for own working and for working in partnership with other sectors, in place.
Plans and arrangements in place for extraordinary circumstances such as natural and human-caused disasters.
Effective arrangements in place to fulfil legal and social obligations and responsibilities.
Effective arrangements in place for transparent communication and reporting of institutional performance.
Effective arrangements in place for transparent decision-making and accountability.
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SDG 16.10: Ensure Public Access to Information and Protect Fundamental Freedoms
Our Collections Matter indicators:
Adopt and implement constitutional, statutory and/or policy guarantees for public access to information.
Plans in place, and plans implemented to enhance public access to information relating to collections.
Plans in place, and plans implemented to support fundamental freedoms, in line with human rights, national and international agreements and legislation.
Plans and procedures in place for public access to information relating to the operation and management of collections-based institutions.
Complaint mechanism in place for public to use where public access to information and fundamental freedoms not supported or fulfilled.
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SDG 16.B: Promote and Enforce Non-Discriminatory Laws and Policies
Our Collections Matter indicators:
Proportion of population [audience/users/non-users] reporting having personally felt discriminated against or harassed in the previous 12 months on the basis of a ground of discrimination prohibited under international human rights law.
Number and proportion of policies that incorporate sustainable development considerations, in the full sense of recognizing all three of social, economic and environmental considerations.
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SDG 17.16: Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development
Our Collections Matter indicators:
Number and/or increase in number, and diversity of global and international multi-stakeholder partnerships that share collection-related knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources to address the SDGs, or that otherwise involve collections-based organisations and institutions.
Number and/or increase in number, and diversity of global and international multi-stakeholder partnerships involving developing countries that share collection-related knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources to address the SDGs.
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SDG 17.17: Encourage Effective Partnerships
Our Collections Matter indicators:
Amount of United States dollars committed to public-private and civil society partnerships.
Number and/or increase in number, and diversity of local, national and regional multi-stakeholder (public, public-private and civil society) partnerships that address the SDGs drawing on collections, or that otherwise involve collections-based organisations and institutions.
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