Parties to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime have unanimously adopted an Egyptian-sponsored resolution aimed at strengthening efforts to combat illicit trafficking in cultural property, dismantle criminal networks and disrupt related financial flows.
The resolution was adopted during the convention’s 13th Conference of the Parties in Vienna. It was prepared by Egyptian authorities, including the Foreign Ministry, Justice Ministry and Public Prosecution. Prosecutor General Mohamed Shawky headed Egypt’s delegation during the adoption session.
The measure seeks to strengthen national and international criminal justice responses to cultural-property trafficking through more effective use of the UN convention, targeting not only the movement of illicit objects but also the broader criminal networks and financial systems that sustain the trade.
It calls for stronger efforts to dismantle trafficking networks, disrupt illicit financial flows and enhance international cooperation to prevent and prosecute such crimes.
Egypt’s ambassador in Vienna, Mohamed Nasr, said illicit trafficking in cultural property should not be viewed solely as a profit-driven crime, stressing that it also damages societies’ cultural memory, identity and historical continuity and can cause irreversible losses.
The resolution also addresses potential links between cultural-property trafficking and other crimes, including money laundering, transnational organised crime, terrorism and terrorist financing.
It highlights the role of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in supporting national efforts, in cooperation with other international organisations, particularly UNESCO and Interpol.
The resolution calls for stronger national measures and faster international cooperation to investigate and prosecute illicit trafficking in cultural property and the organised criminal networks that profit from it.