Stolen Works of Art > Conferences and meetings

Recommendations

The participants of the 4th meeting of the Interpol Tracking Task force to fight the illicit trafficking of cultural property stolen in Iraq, held in lyon on 25 and 26 april 2006

NOTING the need for precise information on suspected thieves and traffickers of Iraqi cultural property and their links to criminal networks,

AWARE of the value of the active support to law enforcement agencies provided by cultural and scientific institutions and art market professionals,

CONSCIOUS of the necessity to inform the wider public of the threat to cultural property,

ACKNOWLEDGING the increasing sales of suspected illicit Iraqi cultural property on the internet,

BEARING IN MIND the difficulties of obtaining timely and accurate information from the Iraqi authorities,

RECOMMEND THAT:

• NCB Baghdad provides intelligence about links between theft, illicit trafficking in cultural property and funding of organized criminal and terrorist networks;
  
  
• NCB Baghdad sensitizes their authorities of the urgent need for a dedicated magistrate in order of increase the efficiency of international legal assistance;
  
  
• NCB Baghdad informs their authorities of the advantages of searching the Internet for their lost cultural heritage, and ensures that appropriate investigation is conducted prior to requesting international assistance;
  
  
• Member countries seek close partnerships with appropriate institutions (e.g. universities, museums) to actively assist law enforcement agencies in their fight against the illicit trade in Iraqi cultural property;
  
  
• Member countries develop programs in order to raise public awareness of the illicit trade in Iraqi cultural property, e.g. the media, posters in airports or video clips in planes;
  
  
• The Interpol General Secretariat organizes the next ITTF meeting in a country of the concerned region and conjoins a two-day regional meeting on the fight against the illicit traffic in Iraqi cultural property.