As part of a joint initiative with the European Union, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has developed two new tools to help the judiciary and law enforcement agencies fight the illicit trafficking of cultural property.

The first one is the "Toolkit for European Judiciary and Law Enforcement” which aims to provide a range of answers to professionals combating this type of organized criminal activity.

The WCO is among the organizations which contributed to the Toolkit’s development as part of a global effort to enable the judiciary and law enforcement agencies to acquire and/or consolidate knowledge of the international and European legal framework and to offer a set of practical tools designed specifically for them.

The Toolkit, which contains a number of case studies and hands-on exercises, is a “self-help” training tool ensuring an interactive experience for individuals and groups.

In addition to the Toolkit, UNESCO has also developed an e-learning platform offering step-by-step training to provide an understanding of how this type of organized crime works and explain how to use legal and practical tools to fight it more efficiently and effectively.

It also enables judiciary and law enforcement professionals to learn about different key concepts and special investigative techniques, and to exchange information and ideas with their colleagues from all over Europe.

The toolkit is currently available in English and the French version is in preparation. The e-learning modules are already available in both languages. Both tools can be used in a complementary manner.

For more details, please visit the UNESCO 1970 Convention website