Illicit trade in cultural artefacts

This publication is a report from the Nordic expert conference “Illicit trade in cultural artefacts. Stronger together: How can the Nordics join forces to stop the illegal import and export of cultural objects?” which was held in Oslo, 2 to 3 December 2015, following an initiative of the Nordic Ministers of Culture. The objective of the conference was to explore the potential for a closer Nordic collaboration in order to better meet the states' obligations under international cultural conventions and the UN Security Council’s Resolution 2199 on measures to prevent financing of extremist groups and their activities. A number of knowledgeable speakers shared their insights into current global challenges as regards cultural heritage protection. A particular concern is the ongoing looting in war-torn areas in the Middle East. The conference resulted in 13 joint follow-up recommendations.