Sacred vase of Warka, limestone, 3200 B. C.

Head of a Sumerian woman, c. 3000 B. C.

Bassetki copper statue, c. 2250 B. C.

In accordance with a recommendation adopted at the International Conference on Cultural Property Stolen in Iraq, held at the Interpol General Secretariat in Lyon, France on 5 and 6 May 2003, Interpol has created a Tracking Task Force to Fight Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Property Stolen in Iraq.

Conceived as the primary platform for the coordination of international exchange of law enforcement information on Iraqi stolen cultural property and the criminal networks involved in its trafficking, it includes representatives of specialist operational law enforcement units from Iraq, Jordan, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Italy and France.

At their first meeting in Lyon on 12 and 13 November 2003, the delegations presented action taken in their respective countries, the General Secretariat informed on the efforts invested in the collection of information, its integration in the Interpol database and the derived tools (CD-ROM, public web site) and the policy to strengthen cooperation with the UNESCO. Specific case studies highlighted recoveries of Iraqi cultural property. The three images alongside represent some of the most valuable items, all recovered in Iraq as a result of joint efforts of US military and Iraqi police.

The delegates agreed to a range of measures designed to further improve activity in this area.
Click here for the recommendations.  

Stolen Works of Art - woa@interpol.int