Stolen Works of Art > Conferences and meetings

Recommendations

The participants of the third meeting of The Interpol Tracking Task Force to Fight the Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Property stolen in Iraq, held in Washington DC on Monday 23 rd May 2005.

Recognising that the internet is being increasingly used to sell property believed to be from Iraq.

Suspecting that some of this property comes from illegal excavations and thefts in Iraq.

Recommend firstly:

• That the INTERPOL General Secretariat collates information from law enforcement in all countries regarding the use of the internet for the illicit sale of Cultural Property from Iraq.

• That the INTERPOL General Secretariat informs the U.N.E.S.C.O. about the concerns of the I.T.T.F. regarding the increased sale of believed illicit Iraqi cultural property on the internet.

• That I.T.T.F. members sensitise their countries to the need to deal expeditiously with suspicious transactions on the internet.

• That I.T.T.F. members communicate the need for greater resources to be made available to allow for the monitoring of the internet to detect crimes against cultural property.

Understanding that some I.T.T.F. members are not a part of N.C.B.s and do not have instant secure communications with each other.

Recognising the need to communicate intelligence and information, quickly and securely, between each other.

Acknowledging the very important role that N.C.B.s play in facilitating lawful communication between member countries.

Recommends secondly:

• That I.T.T.F. members consider the value of a secure system of communication, such as the “PGP” proposed by the Interpol General Secretariat and examine the feasibility of such a project in their countries for a report to the General Secretariat prior to the next meeting.

• That the Interpol General Secretariat examines the possibility that N.C.B.s can be copied into each communication automatically.