OSCE organizes regional workshop on combating illicit cross-border trafficking in cultural property in Montenegro

PODGORICA, 5 October 2018 – More than 50 participants from police, border and customs services, and the Ministries of Justice and Culture from South-east Europe and the Caucasus completed a five-day workshop in Podgorica today on combating illicit cross-border trafficking in cultural property.

The workshop, the third held as part of an OSCE project on this issue, was organized by the Italian OSCE Chairmanship in co-ordination with the Border Security and Management Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department, the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the Ministry of Culture of Montenegro. It follows similar workshops held in the past in Vicenza, Italy for the Mediterranean region and in Tashkent, Uzbekistan for the Central Asian region.

“Driven by more and more evidence on the global level that the illegal looting of cultural goods and artefacts, and destruction of common historical heritage are used by criminal groups and terrorist organizations to generate tremendous profits, we have to engage in awareness-raising activities and assist professionals from different agencies in discussing the available tools and new methods to jointly fight this phenomenon,” said Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, Ambassador Maryse Daviet.

The workshop highlighted the international legal framework and best practices in criminal justice responses to trafficking in cultural property. Experts presented the available IT systems and databases to support the fight against this phenomenon. They emphasized the importance of international co-operation and information exchange as efficient counter-measures, equally important to the monitoring and protection of archaeological sites, as well as controls in museums.

“Combating the illicit cross-border trafficking in cultural property is one of the priorities of 2018 Italian OSCE Chairmanship,” said Counsellor Isa Ghivarelli, representing the Chairmanship. “South-East Europe and the South Caucasus are rich in history and increasingly exposed to destruction and looting. Furthermore they lie directly on the route where artefacts from other regions, including crisis and war-affected areas are trafficked. This phenomenon requires a direct and co-ordinated response from different stakeholders across borders. This workshop was designed precisely to determine the efficient responses to this phenomenon and to counteract organized crime and terrorism by cutting a significant funding source. The ideas generated during the workshop will help us to better tailor future activities to the needs of the different stakeholders.”

Experts from various agencies and bodies participated in the workshop. They included representatives of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime; the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation; the United States Homeland Security Investigations; Italy’s Carabinieri Command for the protection of cultural heritage; Department of Canadian Heritage; INTERPOL; EUROPOL; UNESCO; the British Museum; the International Council of Museums; and the Regional Diving Centre in Bjela, Montenegro.