Discussion guide for the thematic discussion on protection against trafficking in cultural property: notes by the Secretariat

The present note has been prepared by the Secretariat as a discussion guide for the thematic discussion of the Commission at its nineteenth session. In its decision 2009/246, entitled “Report of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice on its eighteenth session and provisional agenda and documentation of its nineteenth session”, the Economic and Social Council decided that the prominent theme for the nineteenth session of the Commission would be “Protection against illicit trafficking in cultural property”. The Commission, in its decision 18/1, entitled “Guidelines for the thematic discussions of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice”, decided that the discussion on the prominent theme at its nineteenth session would have a duration of one day and would be based on a discussion guide including a list of questions to be addressed by participants, such guide to be prepared by the Secretariat.

The present guide proposes a series of questions for discussion by the Commission, outlines some issues for shaping the discussion and further elaborates upon the relevant subthemes. It describes the main challenges to effective protection of cultural property and makes suggestions for improving it.