Stolen Works of Art > Interpol Experts Group on Stolen Cultural Property

NOTING the significant losses of cultural property in countries throughout the world,

NOTING that, despite the efforts made by the countries concerned and by international organizations, the scale of the problem has not decreased,

RECOGNIZING the need to centralize information on the theft of cultural property and criminal networks involved in trafficking,

EMPHASIZING the need to step up co-ordination and co-operation among law enforcement services, both at national and international level, in order to enhance their effectiveness,

NOTING that offences against cultural property are, by their nature, complex and often sophisticated, and that law enforcement services need to possess an appropriate level of knowledge and expertise,

NOTING the disparity between the scale of the problem and the resources generally available to tackle it,

RECOMMEND:

• That the Interpol General Secretariat and member countries attach a high priority to countering the traffic in cultural property and equip themselves with adequate resources;
  
  
• That member countries compile reliable statistics on stolen cultural property on an annual basis and submit them using the General Secretariat form, to enable a more detailed picture of the scale of this type of crime to be built up;
  
  
• That Interpol member countries promote the adoption of Object ID to draw up inventories of public and private collections where they do not already exist, and to facilitate the circulation of information when a theft occurs;
  
  
• That UNESCO, with the assistance of staff from Iraqi museums and other scientific institutions concerned, draw up a list of experts and organizations which may be consulted, via the Interpol National Central Bureaus, about the origins of archaeological objects seized by law enforcement services.