Preservation and Protection of Cultural Heritage

One of the OAS priorities in the area of culture is to support its Member States in their efforts to preserve, protect, manage and promote their cultural heritage.

At the Third Inter-American Meeting of Ministers of Culture and Highest Appropriate Authorities, held in Montreal in November 2006, the OAS Member States reiterated the importance of enhancing their ability to deal with common threats to cultural heritage, such as looting and illicit trafficking of cultural goods.

The Inter-American Committee on Culture (CIC), with support from the U.S. Department of State, the Government of Mexico, and the Department of Education and Culture, is responding by organizing sub-regional workshops to share knowledge and practices on combating looting and illicit trafficking in cultural goods and educating communities on how best to protect heritage sites and items.

Workshop on Case Studies in Combating Illicit Trafficking and Looting of Cultural Heritage (for more information please click here)