CAS International Cultural Heritage Law: Graduation Ceremony

The graduation ceremony for the students of the CAS 2022/2023

will be preceded by the

Conference on “The illicit trafficking in cultural objects: an overview of contemporary challenges”

9 June 2023, 11:15am - 12:30pm, open to the public

The illicit trade in cultural objects is a scourge that damages cultural heritage worldwide, deprives people of their history and fuels organized crime. Many are the causes of this illicit trafficking. One can point to the opening of frontiers and the blossoming of the international art market. The multiplication of conflicts is another cause of theft and illicit exportation. Furthermore, the Covid pandemic has weakened the capacity to monitor heritage sites. Regardless of the causes, States have developed a composite legal framework to prevent and fight the illicit trafficking in cultural objects and hence to ensure the protection of the cultural heritage of all countries of the world.

Three renowned speakers will address some of the challenges raised by the illicit trade in cultural objects:

• Marina Schneider (Principal Legal Officer & Treaty Depositary, International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT)): “UNESCO and UNIDROIT: a Partnership against the Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Objects”
• Manlio Frigo (Professor, University of Milano): “United Nations and EU Policy on Safeguarding of Cultural Property and Fight against the Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Objects”
• Jérôme Fromageau (Professor, University Paris-Sud, and Ecole du Louvre): “Le patrimoine culturel en péril : Un état des lieux”