Doha, November 13 (QNA) - Several officials in Qatar and the Arab world stressed the need for concerted international efforts to recover antiquities, manuscripts and cultural property that were illegally taken out of their countries.

On the occasion of the International Day Against Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Property, which annually falls on Nov. 14, officials shared exclusive statements with Qatar News Agency (QNA). In remarks to QNA, the officials emphasized the need for international cooperation to address the legislative challenges that prevent the recovery of these artifacts and their return to their countries of origin, affirming that the illicit trade in cultural property not only deprives people of their history and culture, but also weakens social cohesion and fuels organized crime.

According to the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) database - the only database at the international level, the number of stolen works of art amounts to 52,000 around the globe, in addition to unreported works in various countries.

Trafficking in cultural property is the third largest international criminal activity, second to drug and arms trafficking. According to international reports, experts estimate that the total illicit trafficking in cultural property may reach USD 10 billion each year (separately). According to Interpol, this number has increased over the past decade.

Various Arab countries have dealt with widespread looting of their antiquities for decades. Official statistics in Egypt indicate that over 32,000 antiquities have been stolen over the past 50 years. In Yemen, more than 14,000 manuscripts have gone missing to this day, while Iraq has been subjected to the most thefts of its antiquities, whether in archaeological sites or museums, as well as Sudan and Libya.

In this regard, HE Ambassador of the Republic of Yemen to the State of Qatar Rajeh Badi said in a statement to QNA that Yemen is one of the countries whose cultural properties and historical monuments have been most exposed to looting and illegal trafficking, especially during the past decade, due to the ongoing war in the country, pointing out that Yemen enjoys a rich civilization and possesses a very large stock of antiquities and cultural properties resulting from civilizations extending for thousands of years, and deeply rooted in history.

This war contributed to the trafficking of Yemeni antiquities and their smuggling out of the country, thus damaging this inventory and cultural heritage, which is considered not only the property of Yemen, but the property of the Arab nation and humanity as well, he added.

In cooperation with many parties, including the US, the legitimate government worked to recover many of the historical artifacts and manuscripts that reached the US, and some of those that reached Britain, he said, emphasizing that the property recovered is only a fraction of what has been looted so far.

His Excellency explained that the gangs took advantage of the security chaos and traded in cultural property, especially manuscripts, including rare manuscripts related to religions besides Islam, pointing out that a number of these manuscripts even reached the Israeli entity.

He expressed his hope for greater and more comprehensive cooperation between countries in the Arab League or in neighboring countries like the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), to assist the government and train cadres to stop these crimes.

HE Ambassador Badi expressed appreciation for the role of the State of Qatar, represented by Qatar National Library (QNL), which trained a number of experts to combat smuggling.

In a similar statement to QNA, Archaeologist and former Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Dr. Zahi Hawass stressed the importance of international cooperation to adopt means to combat the illicit trafficking of cultural property, and to take the necessary measures to recover stolen antiquities.

He called on countries whose antiquities and civilizations are being stolen to agree to organize an international conference with the participation of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), with the aim of amending the unfair laws and legislation that prevent the return of stolen antiquities to their countries of origin. In this context, Dr. Hawass referred to the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage adopted by UNESCO in 1972, which prohibits the recovery of antiquities stolen before the date of adoption of this international treaty.

The Egyptian archaeologist pointed out that there is a great deal of evidence proving that antiquities were stolen before 1972, which necessitates amending any laws that prevent countries with different cultures and civilizations from their right to recover their looted antiquities.

In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Director-General of the Museums Department at General Authority for Antiquities and Heritage of Iraq Lama Al Douri said it is difficult to count the antiquities that have taken out of Iraq illegally; because what is stolen from Iraqi antiquities through random excavation of archaeological sites is in the thousands and the numbers are changing, while what was looted from the antiquities of the Iraqi Museum is estimated at 15 thousand registered antiquities.

Al Douri noted continuous government efforts to recover stolen antiquities, as there is an internal recovery of stolen antiquities that are inside Iraq and prepared for smuggling, and the number recovered has reached 33,014 antiquities from inside Iraq since 2003 until this year. For the pieces recovered from outside Iraq that settled in auctions and the black market, their number reached 26,233 in the period from 2019 to 2024.

The Director-General of the Museums Department at General Authority for Antiquities and Heritage of Iraq stressed the need for greater international cooperation to recover cultural property smuggled abroad, underscoring the need to prove ownership of the pieces through the museum number, which we often do not find because they may have been stolen from the archaeological site. So we are forced to adopt the principle of comparison and similarity, even if other parties are convinced that the piece belongs to Iraq, she said, noting that the Ministry of Culture and the Antiquities Authority, specifically the Museums Department, are responsible for the process of following up on the archaeological pieces, whether at home or abroad, and that there are intensive efforts in this area in cooperation with the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

As part of its ongoing efforts to preserve cultural heritage and combat the illicit trafficking of cultural property, Qatar National Library (QNL) plays a prominent role in protecting Arab and Islamic heritage, especially in light of the contemporary global challenges facing this heritage.

Regarding the librarys efforts and regional initiatives aimed at protecting heritage and awareness raising regarding preserving it for future generations, Head of Preservation and Conservation at QNL Maxim Nasra explained that the National Library is among the most important pioneering institutions in preserving cultural heritage in Arab countries and the Middle East region. In 2015, the library was selected by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions to be a regional center for preservation and conservation in the Middle East and North Africa region, which reflects its deep commitment to preserving documentary heritage.

He said that the QNL launched the Himaya project in 2020, which aims to enhance regional and international cooperation in protecting cultural heritage and combat the trafficking and illegal circulation of documentary heritage. Within the framework of this project, the QNL organized several workshops, training courses and conferences addressing the topic of protecting cultural heritage and preventing illicit trafficking, and focused on several main topics, such as: the international and regional legal framework, which includes agreements such as the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, the 1970 UNESCO and the 1995 UNIDROIT conventions on stolen or illegally exported cultural property, as well as practical tools to combat trafficking, such as the Interpol database of stolen works of art, the red lists issued by the International Council of Museums, and procedures for cultural property offered for sale online.

Head of Preservation and Conservation at Qatar National Library Maxim Nasra stressed the need to update legislative and legal frameworks to keep pace with digital development and to establish legal controls and mechanisms that protect cultural heritage and combat digital crimes related to it, especially in light of the complex challenges that require coordination and cooperation between several concerned parties and institutions. He indicated that the first and basic step is the inventory and documentation process, in addition to continuous training for specialists in customs and law enforcement authorities. He stressed the need to enhance cooperation and concerted efforts between countries in combating the smuggling of cultural property.

Heritage and Rare Books Advisor at the Office of the Cultural Advisor at Qatar Foundation Mohammed Hammam Fakri said that the illicit trade in cultural property has historical roots that arose with the beginning of wars and the accompanying looting and plundering of cultural artifacts, which then go to the invading countries, some of which are placed in public museums, and some of which remain with the invaders, and then a parallel market for museums arises, which is the market for the trade in cultural artifacts. He noted that the causes of the phenomenon also include the occurrence of natural disasters.

He said that one of the reasons behind establishing the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was to address this phenomenon. He noted that with the development of things and the increase in demand for rare antiquities and manuscripts, those items began to be sold at exorbitant prices, which increased theft and looting. Theft also began from museums to display them in emerging museums or parallel markets, which stimulates the movement of illegal trade in cultural property, which is considered a negative to the countrys identity and history.

Mohammed Hammam Fakri urged those in charge of cultural work, whether museums, libraries, cultural archives, or cultural centers, to refrain from purchasing suspicious or questionable items.

He said that, as observers, they see that when such artifacts were taken out, they were kept illegally in the countries to which they were taken; therefore, there is now a trend that wants to adopt the return of the artifacts to their origin, and this is the real challenge facing those in charge of cultural work, both official and unofficial, and also at the level of international organizations.

UNESCO adopted the celebration of the International Day against Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Property on No. 14 each year, during the 40th session of its General Conference, which was held in 2019; with the aim of drawing attention to this crime and ways to combat it, as well as highlighting the importance of international cooperation in this regard.

(QNA)