Globally, cultural heritage faces an increasing threat of destruction, not only due to the natural process of decay, but also due to political, security and social factors. Wars, political instability and economic recessions pose significant challenges to the protection and conservation of cultural heritage, together with the looting and trafficking by single enterprises or organized criminal groups. Over the years, the number of international crimes related to the looting and trafficking of cultural heritage property has significantly grown. Moreover, their links to international criminal activity, including the use of assets to finance terrorist activities, are becoming more evident year by year. The correlation between the illicit trade of cultural artifacts and terrorism poses an additional multifaceted threat to peace, security, and cultural diversity worldwide. The magnitude and gravity of these new dangers calls for the entire international community to take an urgent and firm stance for the protection of cultural heritage.
The protection of cultural heritage is one of the targets of Goal 11 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda through which countries have pledged to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.” In particular, Target 11.4 aims to “strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage.”
As the United Nations Research and Training Institute mandated to crime prevention and criminal justice administration, UNICRI supports target 4 of the Goal 11 to detect, investigate and recover assets from the illegal trafficking of cultural heritage. “This issue is not just about the illegal trade of artifacts; it is a direct attack on our shared human heritage and the values that bind us together as a global community,” said UNICRI Acting Director Leif Villadsen during the unveiling of the new report Cultural Heritage Smuggling and the Nexus with Terrorism, in June 2024. The report sheds light on the interconnections between criminal trades of cultural heritage and terrorism financing and provides an understanding of the obstacles of investigating such crimes and the importance of collective efforts.
The 5th edition of the Specialized Course on Cultural Heritage, Crime and Security – Protecting our Past to Invest in our Future, will be delivered online from 10 to 14 March 2025 by the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) and The American University of Rome (AUR). The course will provide participants with a fundamental understanding of heritage crime and how heritage organisations, law enforcement bodies and judicial systems are responding.
For more information and registration before 24 February 2025, please visit the website of UNICRI.