The Sixth Meeting of States Parties to the 1970 Convention elects new members to its Subsidiary Committee

The Sixth Meeting of States Parties to the 1970 Convention was held online on 25 and 26 May 2021, under the chairmanship of H.E. Mounir Anastas, Ambassador and Alternate Permanent Delegate of Palestine to UNESCO. The States Parties partially renewed the Subsidiary Committee of the Meeting of States Parties to the Convention and nine States Parties were elected for a 4-year term (2021-2025): Argentina; Chile; Cyprus; Côte d’Ivoire; Ethiopia; France; India; Libya and Poland.

The representatives of the 141 States Parties to the Convention welcomed the numerous training and awareness-raising activities implemented by UNESCO, particularly in the framework of the 50th anniversary of the Convention. Among these, the celebration of the first international day against illicit trafficking on 14 November 2020 was particularly appreciated, as well as the international communication campaign “The Real Price of art“, launched in October 2020 and relayed by more than 88 online media around the world.  The importance of the launch by UNESCO of a regional study for Africa last March was also mentioned since,  from the identification of regional priorities, it should lay the foundations for strengthening the fight against illicit trafficking on the African continent. This study was initiated within the framework of the Global Priority Africa of the Organization and a broad program to support  African Member States in the fight against illicit trafficking and the promotion of return and restitution of cultural property.

Throughout these two days, the strengthening of the implementation of the 1970 Convention was at the heart of the debates. In view of the seriousness of the situation and the impact of illicit trafficking in cultural property on cultural heritage, further aggravated during the COVID-19 pandemic, the States Parties stressed the need for enhanced cooperation at the national, regional and international levels. In this context, UNESCO is currently organizing a series of regional conferences on the topic. An international conference will be held in September 2021, with the aim of bringing together all actors concerned by the issue of illicit trafficking, including the art market, in order to strengthen the global dialogue on this crucial issue.

Find all the documents of the Sixth Meeting of States Parties to the 1970 Convention.