Prevent the illicit trade of cultural assets worldwide

By Espinosa Bellido Abogados

On May 22, 2019, Perú was elected to be one of the Vice-Presidents of the Bureau of the Subsidiary Committee of the 1970 UNESCO Convention, alongside Turkey, the Republic of Korea and Ivory Coast. The convention establishes its State Parties to take preventive measures, restitution provisions and an international cooperation framework against the illicit import, export and transfer of ownership of cultural property.

Since then, Peru has been specially committed to the objectives of the convention. As one of the Vice-Presidents of the Bureau of the Subsidiary Committee, Peru is now responsible for identifying challenging situations related to the protection and return of cultural assets, in addition to sharing good practice and preparing and sending recommendations and guidelines to help implement the convention to the meeting of States Parties.

“We are one of the most active countries in the recovery of cultural assets illegally taken from its territory. This is thanks to coordinated efforts by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture, which monitor numerous objects from the pre-Inca, Inca, and colonial eras, and from the early years of the Republic”, the government highlighted in a press release.