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African Group Calls for the Return of Stolen Cultural Property

DSC_0034_edited-1Ambassador Khaled Shamaa, Permanent Representative of the Arab Republic of Egypt before the international organizations in Vienna, focused on the trafficking of cultural property while delivering the statement of the African group at the Twenty-Second Session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (UNODC), He stated: “The African Group stresses its particular concern for the trafficking of cultural property which is causing increasing damage to the cultural heritage of our nations and thus, to part of our identities”.

He added that the group wishes to underscore the indispensable role of the crime prevention and criminal justice responses in combating all forms and aspects of trafficking in cultural property and related offenses in a comprehensive and effective manner.

Ambassador Shamaa stated that the group welcomes the recommendations of the meeting of the open-ended intergovernmental expert group on protection against trafficking in cultural property held in Vienna in June 2012, in particular the recommendations calling for finalization of the guidelines for crime prevention and criminal justice responses with respect to trafficking in cultural property, in addition to enhancing international cooperation, especially to the return of cultural property to the countries of origin.  Read the full statement of the African Group. (African Group Statement as PDF [1])

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