📋 Tender Overview
An OSCE-organized regional training workshop on countering illicit trafficking of cultural property took place from 26 to 28 July 2022. The three-day event held in a blended format aimed to strengthen further regional co-operation to combat all forms and aspects of trafficking in cultural property and related offences.The event brought together online and in-person around 55 officials from relevant border security agencies and the Ministries of Culture of the five Central Asian countries dealing with cultural heritage protection and security. The workshop provided both crime prevention and archaeological perspectives in terms of cultural heritage facilitating the exchange of best practices in combating this serious crime.The Officer-in-Charge of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat the Head of Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan a representative from the UNESCO Tehran Cluster Office and the Charg dAffaires a.i. of the Embassy of Japan in Turkmenistan made opening speeches.The illicit trafficking of cultural property is a transnational threat and the threat is real said Rune Castberg Officer-in-Charge of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat. The illicit trade involves many actors and highly sophisticated networks stretching across the entire OSCE area and beyond.Given the transnational dimension of illicit trafficking of cultural property the regional event will emphasize the importance of strengthening further international and regional co-operation to preserve the priceless human heritage for future generations added Castberg.International experts stressed the global and regional importance of combating the illicit trade in cultural property and discussed the impact of such crimes on communities their cultural diversity and self-expression. In addition the international experts highlighted the contribution and support of UNESCO in combating the illicit trafficking of cultural property and talked about the latest trends in the illicit trafficking of cultural property. The workshop also addressed the methods and motivation of criminal networks engaged in the illicit trafficking of cultural property. The international experts underscored the need to raise awareness of this dangerous phenomenon within an individual organization and a larger public to enhance the effectiveness of efforts aimed at the protection of cultural heritage.The regional training workshop is organized within the framework of the Centres extrabudgetary multi-donor project Strengthening State Border Service Capacities of Turkmenistan and supported financially by the Government of Japan.
