Combatting illicit trafficking in cultural property focus of OSCE-organized Turkmen-Afghan workshop in Turkmenistan

An OSCE-organized joint Turkmen-Afghan workshop on combating illicit trafficking in cultural property concluded on 25 October 2018 in Ashgabat.

The three-day workshop brought together border officials from Turkmenistan and Afghanistan,  experts from the OSCE Secretariat, the OSCE Border Management Staff College (BMSC), UNESCO, EUROPOL and an international expert on combating illicit trafficking in cultural property.

“Illicit trafficking in cultural property is a threat to security, the identity of nations and the diversity of cultural expression,” said Natalya Drozd, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat. “Combating illicit trafficking in cultural property is high on the agenda of the OSCE Italian Chairmanship in 2018 and it is our firm belief that this workshop will provide a platform for the exchange of best practices in combating this serious crime.”

The opening session of the joint Turkmen-Afghan workshop was attended by Deputy Head of the State Border Service of Turkmenistan, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Head of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), Ambassadors of Germany and Italy, as well as the Counsellor/Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Japan and the First Secretary of the Embassy of Afghanistan.

The high-level speakers emphasized the gravity and extent of illicit trafficking in cultural property. They also highlighted the importance of regional and international co-operation to effectively address this dangerous phenomenon.

Experts from the OSCE Secretariat and BMSC, the UNESCO Office in Kabul and EUROPOL elaborated on their activities in the area of preventing illicit trafficking in cultural property.

Dr. Maria Acetoso of the UNESCO Office in Kabul stressed the importance of protecting cultural heritage. “Nations stay alive when their cultural heritage stays alive. These priceless words were inscribed on the front of the Kabul Museum in 2003,” she said.

Vernon Rapley, an international expert from the United Kingdom, touched upon the transnational aspects of illicit trafficking in cultural property. The expert emphasized the need for education and community involvement, and the need for sharing information to address the phenomenon.

During the joint workshop, participants visited the State Museum of the Cultural Centre of Turkmenistan in Ashgabat and the historical-archaeological  monument Old Nisa (UNESCO World Heritage Site).

The workshop was organized with financial support from the governments of Germany, Italy and Japan.