The third edition of the international conference on combating the illicit trafficking in cultural property, organised by the Qatar National Library in cooperation with the Embassy of Italy in Doha, as well as the Embassies of France and the United States, closes today with its fourth day of activities.
The event, which has seen Italy at the forefront since its first edition, has enabled the training – with “capacity building” objectives – of experts and officials in the field of police, customs control and management of cultural heritage from the entire Middle East area, thanks to the experience provided by the conference partner countries, among which Italy plays a leading role.
The initiative is part of the “Himaya” project, promoted by State Minister and President of the Qatar National Library Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kawari, through which the library has become a regional centre of IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions), distinguishing itself nationally and in the Gulf area for its numerous activities aimed at enhancing skills in the area of countering trafficking in cultural assets, protection and prevention.
The theme of this year’s edition, which featured 24 speakers from different professional backgrounds, including jurists, archaeologists, historians and security force executives, was the strengthening of the legal and legislative framework for combating the illicit trafficking in cultural property and for the related institutional capacity building at international level. For this edition, the Embassy of Italy was represented by 3 speakers, who opened the works of the first, third and fourth day of the conference: Manlio Frigo, lawyer at Bonelli Erede and professor of International Law at the University of Milan, Giuliana Ciriello, head of department at the Italian Ministry of Culture, and Marshal Antonella Spagnuolo, member of the Carabinieri Department for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, a true flagship of the Italian System in terms of preventing and combating trafficking in historical and artistic heritage.
Speaking on the sidelines of the proceedings, Italian Ambassador Paolo Toschi stressed that “the Embassy of Italy in Doha and the Qatar National Library are partners united by many major cultural cooperation projects. Among these, the Himaya project is a tangible proof of our shared commitment to the protection of cultural heritage, with Italy being a major player in the initiative since its first edition.” “In times of international instability, we are proud to be able to share our experience in a sensitive issue such as the trafficking in cultural property in Qatar and throughout the Middle East region. This is done in order to prevent the illicit circulation of goods and promote the resilience and operational capacity of local institutions,” concluded the Ambassador.
