For more than 50 years – and a good deal longer in certain areas – the international community has exerted considerable efforts to protect the world’s cultural heritage in its various facets. These efforts, whether to protect movable or immovable assets, reflects their importance which far transcends their mere economic value, since they represent a significant expression of the history and traditions of nations, reflected in the concrete choices that the law is required to address. Further strong calls for juridical protection have also arisen since the end of the colonial era with the growing demands of States that were victims of despoliation in earlier centuries, demanding restitution of their assets and works of global importance that had been appropriated, often in highly questionable ways.
