The Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), represented by its Department of Culture, took part in the 8th Meeting of the States Parties to the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export, and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, held on May 19–20, 2025, at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.
The Conference included a high-level panel discussion featuring representatives of UNESCO’s technical partners, such as the International Council of Museums (ICOM), INTERPOL, the World Customs Organization, the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the Italian police. Roundtable sessions addressed mechanisms for the recovery of cultural property in accordance with the 1970 Convention, along with regional priorities and specificities related to combating the illicit trafficking of cultural property.
It is worth noting that the 1970 Convention is the first international legal instrument focused on protecting cultural property during peacetime. It has so far been ratified by 140 countries. Yet, there are still challenges in this regard, including widespread looting exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, archaeological sites in conflict zones, and increased online sales of illicit artifacts.
ALECSO and UNESCO continue to support Member States by helping improve national legislation, fostering cooperation among States parties, training professionals in the fields of culture and customs, and offering technical expertise.
