Act for Heritage!
Promoting the Council of Europe Convention on Offences relating to Cultural Property, within governments and civil society
Nicosia, Republic of Cyprus - 24-26 October 2019
The Commissioner for Volunteerism and Non-Governmental Organisations of the Republic of Cyprus, in co-operation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus, the Council of Europe and the European Union organised a two-day Conference on promoting the Council of Europe Convention on Offences relating to Cultural Property (the Nicosia Convention) on 24-26 October 2019. The aim was to raise awareness and promote shared efforts at fighting offences relating to cultural property.
The event also featured findings from a new European study on trafficking of cultural property and links to organised crime, new regulation by the European Commission on import of cultural goods as well as important ongoing European research and action projects
Participants of the Conference (by invitation only) included representatives of governments (crime prevention, culture, tourism, education) and civil society/NGOs from Council of Europe member States and Mediterranean neighbourhood countries, business representatives as well as representatives of the European Union, UNESCO, UNIDROIT, INGOs and other relevant stakeholders.
The conference was highly interactive and combined specialists’ points of view with those of more generalist heritage actors. Finally, based on in-depth debates in four thematic working groups, it consolidated insights and formulated action proposals for working vigorously and in co-operation towards a culture of awareness and responsible handling of cultural property, empowering citizens and governments alike.
Concept note
Programme and Overview
Background papers
- Fact, fiction and the role of the trade in protecting cultural heritage by CINOA
- Fighting and preventing offences relating to cultural property: existACing rules and proposals for functioning regulatory systems by Alessandro Chechi
- Raising the awareness on the illicit trafficking of cultural property: UNESCO’s experience by Maria Minana
Speakers' biographies
Conference "Act for Heritage!"
Nicosia, Republic of Cyprus - 24-26 October 2019