Cairo Hosts Regional Expert Meeting on Cultural Heritage Trafficking, Organized by Egypt, UNODC with UK Support

The Government of Egypt, in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), through its Global Programme on Criminal Network Disruption (GPCD) and the Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa (ROMENA), with support from the UK’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), is organizing a two-day Regional Expert Working Group Meeting on Mapping Trafficking in Cultural Heritage in the Middle East: Trends, Conflict-Driven Vulnerabilities, and Regional Responses, taking place on 21–22 October 2025 at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC), Cairo, Egypt.

The meeting brings together regional and international experts to address the growing threat of trafficking in cultural property, a crime that undermines the cultural identity and historical legacy of nations while fueling transnational organized crime and, in some cases, terrorism.

The event was officially opened by H.E. Hossam Sadek, Egypt’s Assistant Minister of Justice for International Cooperation; H.E. Ambassador Amira Fahmy, Deputy Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for International Specialized Agencies and Global Issues; Dr. Shabaan Abdelgawad, Director-General of the General Department for Antiquities Repatriation and Supervisor of the Central Department for Archaeological Ports, Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities; Ms. Catherine Carr, British Chargé d’Affaires in Egypt; and UNODC representatives, highlighting strong regional and international commitment to countering illicit trafficking in cultural heritage.

In his remarks, Hossam Sadek, Egypt's Assistant Minister of Justice for International Cooperation said, “Our shared goal is to move from diagnosing the phenomenon to developing measurable, operational tools that contribute to prevention, and to strengthening capacities for investigation, evidence gathering, prosecution, fair trial, and frameworks for international judicial and law enforcement cooperation. Our work today and tomorrow is guided by clearly defined objectives aimed at producing tangible outcomes, including a preliminary report mapping trafficking patterns, as well as recommendations and a roadmap for cooperation and national-level priorities.”

Catherine Carr, British Chargé d’Affaires in Egypt, said, “Continued cooperation among international organisations, agencies, and bodies is absolutely essential. The UK, as the second-largest art market in the world, takes these responsibilities seriously. We remain committed to supporting efforts to identify and disrupt these networks, as well as supporting policing and diplomatic endeavours to return looted cultural property. We are grateful to the UNODC for convening an impressive group of regional experts in Cairo and pay tribute to the Government of Egypt’s continued leadership on this agenda.”

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) highlighted: “With globally increased recognition of the transnational crime elements in cultural property trafficking, UNODC’s role comes to the fore: as guardian of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC). UNODC supports member states in implementing crime prevention and justice responses, and in facilitating broad international cooperation to counter such crimes.”

The regional expert group meeting gathers criminal justice practitioners, prosecutors, judges, investigators, cultural heritage experts across the Middle East and North Africa region, alongside cultural heritage professionals, representatives from international and regional organizations, civil society, and academia. Over the course of two days, participants will analyze trafficking routes, actors, and patterns, drawing on national experiences and case studies. They will identify legal, institutional, and operational vulnerabilities that facilitate trafficking in cultural heritage and contribute to the development of a regional mapping report consolidating key trends, risks, and recommended responses.

Participants will also discuss capacity-building needs to inform future technical assistance and exchange experiences and best practices to enhance regional and international cooperation. The meeting features presentations from international and regional organizations including UNESCO, INTERPOL, OSCE, EU External Action Service, FRONTEX, the League of Arab States, Antiquities Coalition, Art Loss Register, and ATHAR Project, alongside national presentations by member states and other expert bodies. Judicial authorities will also share insights into adjudicating cultural property trafficking cases, highlighting legal challenges and effective practices.

Expected outcomes include a set of policy and operational recommendations for enhancing investigations and prosecutions, a preliminary mapping report on regional trafficking dynamics, and a roadmap for strengthening cooperation among Member States and international partners.

This initiative builds on UNODC’s ongoing commitment to support Member States in implementing the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and the UNESCO 1970 Convention, and relevant UN Security Council Resolutions (notably 2347/2017) by strengthening national capacities to address cultural property trafficking and enhancing law enforcement and judicial cooperation. With the vital support of the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the project fosters coordinated action to safeguard cultural heritage, ensuring that these irreplaceable treasures are preserved for generations to come.