Click here to explore all material related to the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, available in the UNESCO Multimedia Video and Sound Collections.
Click here to access all legal instruments related to the 1970 Convention in the UNESCO AtoM Catalogue.
Click here to view all books related to the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property in UNESDOC.
Commentary on the UNESCO 1970 Convention on Illicit Traffic by 
Commentary on the UNESCO 1970 Convention by
The first edition of this Commentary was published in 2000 to coincide with the thirtieth anniversary of the UNESCO Convention. Since then, the Convention has been ratified by many more States, including the United Kingdom, Japan and Switzerland, and the Convention is acquiring greater significance than at any other point in its history. This article by article analysis is written by an acknowledged expert in heritage law and management. The book includes practical information on the implementation of the Convention, together with a series of appendices.
The 1970 UNESCO and 1995 UNIDROIT Conventions on Stolen or Illegally Transferred Cultural Property by
The illicit traffic in cultural objects is a grave concern to the general public and international community. The resulting cultural damage fuels debates on how best to regulate the trade in cultural objects and inform legal responses at all levels for the protection of movable cultural heritage. Treaties concerning the treatment of cultural objects during peacetime and war represent some of the earliest multilateral initiatives on cultural heritage in the modern era. They also remain some of the most deeply contested, representing shifting fault lines within the international community. Authored by leading scholars and practitioners from around the world, this Commentary is the first to cover the two leading multilateral treaties on movable cultural heritage in one volume: the Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property adopted by UNESCO in 1970 and the Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects adopted by UNIDROIT in 1995. This Commentary is designed to be the authoritative text for academics, lawyers, policymakers, and diplomats on the protection and regulation of cultural objects. Encompassing both public and private international law rules on the trade in cultural objects, it provides a detailed historical and thematic overview. Drawing on the travaux preparatoires and intergovernmental and state practice over the last half century, the Commentary provides an article-by-article analysis of the interpretation and application of these treaties. The texts 1970 UNESCO and 1995 UNIDROIT Conventions are examined in the working context of other culture conventions including the World Heritage Convention and the Intangible Heritage Convention, as well as related fields of international law, such as international humanitarian law, international criminal law, human rights law, and international economic law. The volume also offers a critical examination of current trends and future directions which are informing the field.
Click here to view all documents related to the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property in UNESDOC.
Since 1956, The UNESCO Courier, UNESCO's flagship journal, intermittently published stories and archival material related to cultural heritage and the 1970s Convention. Browse the editions below to learn more.
The 1970 Convention: Cultural Diversity before the Letter of the Law
Published: 2020
The Challenge to our Cultural heritage: Why Preserve the Past?
Published: 1986
The Cultural Heritage: Return to the Homeland
Published: 1976
UNESCO provides reproductions of items from its archives for non-commercial or personal uses. UNESCO cannot give or deny permission to reproduce or distribute materials found in its archives for which it does not own full copyright. It is the user's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other use restrictions when reproducing or distributing materials found in UNESCO's archival collections. For assistance, please contact: archives@unesco.org
