Crimes against cultural property are a danger to the preservation, legacy and sustainability of human culture and are a violation of the principle of safeguarding the common heritage enshrined in the European Cultural Convention of the Council of Europe. Each year, these crimes destroy thousands of artefacts, archaeological sites and monuments and cause irreparable damage to museums, galleries, public and private collections, as well as to religious buildings, thereby impoverishing humanity as a whole. To stop these phenomena, rotect cultural property as well as to strengthen crime prevention and the criminal justice response to all those criminal offences it is necessary to criminalise those activities which are connected to the perpetuation of cultural heritage offences and to promote national and international co-operation. This is the aim of the Council of Europe Convention on Offences Relating to Cultural Property, known as the Nicosia Convention (CETS No. 221), intended to further facilitate co-operation between all States willing and able to take concerted action to preserve cultural heritage for present and future generations.
This booklet presents 10 key issues of relevance to the Nicosia Convention in an easy-to-understand format. It puts forth arguments in favour of signing, ratifying and implementing the Nicosia Convention and is aimed at promoting greater awareness of the threat posed by crimes against cultural heritage.
