International online conference

Welcome to the website of the online conference Cultural Heritage and Multilateralism: Regional and International Strategies for the Protection of Cultural Heritage that took place 16 to 18 November 2020. You will find various pieces of background information on these pages. You can watch the recording of all three conference days here. The conference programme can be viewed here.

Objectives

Climate change, natural disasters, transnational crime and armed conflicts endanger cultural heritage around the world. UNESCO World Heritage cultural sites are threatened by rising sea levels, online trade in illegally obtained cultural property is flourishing – since these phenomena transcend national borders, they can only be tackled effectively if states, international organisations, civil society and academics engage in dialogue, coordinate their approaches and build synergies. This conference served as a unique forum for multilateral cultural heritage protection issues, and welcomed all stakeholders and the interested public.

Occasion

In November 2020, Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the German Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and the 50th anniversary of the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property November coincided. This offered a fitting opportunity to discuss the protection of cultural heritage within a broad range of multilateral partners. With the conference “Cultural Heritage and Multilateralism: Regional and International Strategies for the Protection of Cultural Heritage”, the German Federal Foreign Office gave the floor to all relevant partners and their exchange of views on the value of multilateralism for the protection of cultural heritage. Representatives of international organisations and experts from academia, the political sphere and civil society organisations discussed mechanisms against trafficking in cultural property, as well as sustainable development and heritage protection, or its risk management.The adoption of the UNESCO 1970 Convention was a milestone in international cooperation for the protection of cultural heritage. The 50th anniversary of this key instrument, which today has 140 States Parties, was a perfect occasion to look at successes and challenges in the field of the multilateral protection of cultural property.

Stakeholders

The three-day online Conference was hosted by the German Federal Foreign Office in partnership with UNESCO, the European Union and the Council of Europe. This brought together high-ranking representatives from international organisations and nongovernmental organisations with renowned experts. Panels addressed issues relating to combating illicit trafficking in cultural property, the protection of cultural heritage in crisis situations, sustainable heritage protection and the return of cultural property under the UNESCO 1970 Convention, and provided an opportunity to discuss current challenges. Special attention was paid to the contribution collaborative protection of cultural heritage can make to effective multilateralism.