As part of Belgium's presidency of the EU, this convention was organised by the Belgian Federal Police with the Belgian General Administration of Customs and Excises and the Belgian Ministry of Economic Affairs.
Established by the EU Council in 2012, CULTNET is an informal network of authorities and experts involved in the prevention and fight against crime targeting cultural property.
Boosting the collaboration among stakeholders at national and international levels, the convention involved both national police forces and international institutions (such as the European Commission, the World Customs Organization, INTERPOL, Europol, International Council of Museums (ICOM) etc.) engaged in countering the phenomenon of illicit trafficking in cultural goods.
Animated discussions and workshop activities focused especially on the importance of cross-border and cross-force cooperation and the pivotal role of digital platforms and databases (like INTERPOL’s “Stolen Works of Art Database” with IDArt mobile App and the forthcoming “Platform for the Import, Export, and Restitution of Cultural Property”) as tools to support LEAs work in safeguarding cultural heritage.
RITHMS SNA Platform will be another key tool available to LEAs in the future in synergy with already existing ones.
A warm thanks to Christine C. for the kind invitation.