In 1970, 16 years after the adoption of The Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its Protocol of 1954, the international community decided to adopt a new Convention to address illicit trafficking of cultural property at an international level.
States cooperate to protect the cultural property on their territory and fight its illicit import, export and transfer, under the provisions of this pioneering international treaty. This international legal instrument addresses a rapidly evolving issue that is attracting a significant political, media, diplomatic and legal attention.
To date, the 1970 Convention has been ratified by 127 member-states of UNESCO, including many culture-rich countries as well as former hubs of illicit traffic. Cyprus ratified the Convention in 1979.
Contact information:
Dr Despo Pilidou
Department of Antiquities
Address: Museum 1, 1516 Nicosia
Tel.: +357 22865806
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