Stolen Works of Art

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 an Interpol Experts Group on Stolen Cultural Property.

This group has been formed in order to serve as a strategic advisory body to the General Secretariat's Stolen Works of Art project and Interpol member countries in efforts to track down stolen cultural property and dismantle criminal networks involved in its illicit trafficking.

Senior law enforcement officials, key representatives of the international organizations UNESCO and ICOM, and recognized public experts in antiquities and cultural property met in Lyon on 17 February 2004 at their first meeting. Although the mandate of the group is much wider, the discussions at the first meeting focused on the situation in Iraq.

The delegates recommended to prioritize the fight against the illicit trafficking in cultural property, to take necessary action to collect reliable art crime statistics, to promote the establishment of inventories of public and private collections, and to compile a list of experts and organizations to be consulted following the seizure of cultural goods by law enforcement.

The recommendations