OSCE and Cyprus police organize international seminar on combating trafficking of cultural property and antiquities

Best practices and internationally available tools to prevent and counter trafficking in cultural property and antiquities was the focus of a three-day international seminar designed to build the capacity of some 60 participants from different national services, which concluded on 2 November 2017 in Larnaca.

The seminar was organized by the OSCE Border Security and Management Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department in co-ordination with the Cyprus police’s Office for Combating Organized Crime and for the Protection of Cultural Heritage.

It was attended by participants from across the OSCE region, who work in the marine and port police, airport security police, criminal investigation departments, customs services, antiquities departments, national committees for the protection of cultural heritage, prosecutors’ offices, non-governmental organizations and Contact Points of the European Union’s CULTNET Network.   

“The expert presentations and discussions have shown that, due to the topic’s complexity, this problem can be tackled efficiently only by increasing the knowledge of the officers from different government agencies and promoting co-operation among them," said Dennis Cosgrove, Head of the OSCE Border Security and Management Unit.

Over the course of the seminar, experts from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, INTERPOL, EUROPOL, CULTNET, Canada, Cyprus, Greece and the United States focused on topics such as the use of the Internet for committing such crimes, underwater cultural heritage protection, the role of auction houses and collectors in the legal and illegal trade of antiquities, and the protection of archaeological and cultural sites.

“Being the cradle of one of the world’s oldest civilizations, and due to its specific history and geographic position, Cyprus is experiencing a continuous upsurge of criminal activities in this area,” said Christoforos Mavrommatis, Director of the Crime Combating Department of the Cyprus police. “The event provided a much-needed platform for practitioners from different countries and the international community to liaise and discuss new and innovative ways to successfully respond to the phenomena, based on the principles of trust and professional co-operation.”

The seminar was conducted following an assessment visit to Cyprus in June 2017 by the OSCE Border Security and Management Unit.