Awareness-raising, communication and outreach strategies: fighting the illicit traffic of cultural property in South-East Europe An international expert meeting organized by the UNESCO Venice Office and the Ministry of Culture - Cultural Heritage Protection Office, with the support of the Macedonian National Commission for UNESCO Skopje, 13 October 2011
AGENDA OF THE MEETING Background The fight against illicit traffic remains today very high on the political agenda of all SEE countries, which have all ratified the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. Macedonian authorities, more specifically, ratified the 1970 Convention in 1997. Within the framework of UNESCO s activities for the enhancement of the protection of cultural objects and the fight against their illicit traffic, the UNESCO Venice Office finalized in May 2011 a 15 mn video, with the support of National Commissions and Ministries of Culture, on the sensitization to the fight against the illicit traffic of cultural goods, specifically dedicated to the South-East European region. The geographical scope of this film covers the following countries: Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey. The video was done also to complement and adapt for the purpose of the South-East Europe region the 17mn video prepared in 2010 by UNESCO to explain and promote the 1970 convention. It is now accessible on the UNESCO Venice Office YouTube channel link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh22amksuxg. This new video was done for a large audience, with the goal to raise public awareness about the fight against illicit traffic of cultural property in South-East Europe; promote best practices; put the emphasis on issues specific to the region (such as the fight against looting of religious heritage); show images of famous and valuable stolen and recuperated objects; promote the value of all types of movable cultural properties; increase awareness of the wider public on the importance of their contribution to the appropriate management/protection of their cultural heritage. This informative and awareness-raising film, prepared with simple and clear messages, was done to promote the ideals and objectives of the 1970 Convention in SEE (prevention, cooperation) and with the ambition to be widely diffused, in particular, by TV networks, museums and cultural institutions, world heritage sites, tourism offices, public transportation networks (bus, airports, trains) from the SEE region. The film would therefore serve to show the important dimensions of illicit traffic in South East Europe, the necessity to mobilize public opinion, to develop and share good practices through regional and international cooperation. In this context, it was thought to organize a first meeting that would bring together, around the Macedonian case, the key national players affected by the implementation of the 1970
Convention, a few international experts and especially representatives involved in communication and outreach policies and strategies. Objectives This national meeting is a very opportune moment to reflect on global cooperation strategies, especially with regards to communication and awareness-raising tools. For UNESCO, a major priority is not the judicial approach: it is rather to help countries in building their human and institutional capacities: national inventories, databases, tools for information and communication, exchange of best practices, awareness-raising. In March 2006, the UNESCO Venice Office had already organized a first expert meeting in Ohrid to discuss regional cooperation mechanisms. At that time, the recommendations were to enhance relevant legislations, national inventories and databases training, security measures, cross-border cooperation, constant exchange of information, expertise and experience. In 2011, and further to the realization of the video, UNESCO is organizing this meeting in Skopje, specifically dedicated to the Macedonian situation, to reflect on communication tools at a national level, and to reach out to various stakeholders involved specifically in communication, distribution and awareness-raising policies, mechanisms, and strategies: tourism professionals, museums, cultural institutions, internet sites, TV and social networks, radios, heritage sites, ministries of culture, tour operators, airline companies and major airports, auction houses, art galleries. Thanks to the generous support of the Austrian Federal Government, the video was translated in all SEE languages, including Macedonian. This allows UNESCO and the Macedonian Culture Ministry to organize today a national meeting on awareness-raising and sensitization policies. Outputs - Discussion with key national stakeholders on new communication and outreach tools, strategies, campaigns, policies, mechanisms concerning the fight against illicit traffic of cultural property. - Agreement with key national stakeholders on national distribution and dissemination of the UNESCO video.
Target groups to be invited Ministry of culture, police and customs, tourism professionals, museums, cultural institutions, internet sites, TV and social networks, radios, responsible management heritage sites, tour operators, airline companies and major airports, art galleries, collectors of antiquities. Working Language English/Macedonian (simultaneous translation) Accomodation: Hotel Skopje, Andon Dukov 27, 1000 Skopje phone/fax: +389 2 3090 755 e-mail: info@hotelskopje.com.mk Website: http://www.hotelskopje.com.mk/eng/ Venue of the meeting: Hotel Skopje
Arrival of invited foreign experts Meeting in Hotel Skopje at 20h00. Welcoming dinner: Restaurant Gourmet Wednesday 12 October 2011 Thursday 13 October 2011 9.00-9.30. Welcoming addresses: - Elizabeta Kanceska Milevska, Minister of Culture - Pasko Kuzman, Director, Cultural Heritage Protection Office, Ministry of Culture - Christoph Bazil, Restitution Affaires, Head of Department, Federal Ministry for Education, the Arts and Culture, Austria - Anthony Krause, Head of Culture Unit, UNESCO Venice Office Session 1, Moderated by Zoran Pavlov, Head of the Department for Documentation, International Cooperation and Administrative Affairs, Cultural Heritage Protection Office - Ministry of Culture: National Policies and strategies for public awareness for the fight against illicit traffic of cultural property 9:30-10:00 Presentation and projection of the UNESCO Venice Office Video Fighting the illicit traffic of cultural heritage in South-East Europe (15, Macedonian version), by Anthony Krause, Head Culture Unit, UNESCO Venice Office 10:00-10:20 Zvonimir Nikolovski, Cultural Heritage Protection Office, Ministry of Culture: National Policies and strategies for public awareness for the fight against illicit traffic of cultural property 10:20-10:40 Vesna Ilievska-Ivanovska, journalist, Daily Newspaper, Dnevnik : Media and awareness-raising for the fight against illicit traffic of cultural properties: strategies and best practices 10:40-11:00 Coffee break
11:00-11:20 Boban Husenovski, Museum-Gevgelija / Ilce Bojcevski, Cultural Heritage Protection Office, Ministry of Culture: National Restitution cases Best Practices 11:20-11:40 Dejan Nikolovski, Centre for Combating Organized and Serious Crime, Ministry of Interior: Organized Crime and Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Properties 11:40-12:00 Svetlana Dacevska, Chief Inspector for Violent Crime, Department for International Police Cooperation - INTERPOL, Skopje The role and cooperation of NCB Skopje with the other Interpol member-states and with IPSG Lion in the field of illicit trafficking with cultural properties. 12:00-12:30 Discussion-debate, moderated by Zoran Pavlov 12:30-14:00 Lunch Session 2, moderated by Anthony Krause, Chief Culture Unit, UNESCO Venice Office: Communication and awareness-raising programmes: a comparative perspective on best practices 14:00-14:20 Presentation by Maria Minana, UNESCO, Culture Sector, 1970 Convention Secretariat 14:20-14:40 Presentation by Christoph Bazil, Federal Ministry for Education, the Arts and Culture, Austria 14:40-15:00 Presentation by Colonel Stéfane Gauffeny, Head of French Office for the Fight against Trafficking in Cultural Goods (OCBC) 15:00-15:20 Presentation by Fabrizio Panone, Criminal Intelligence Officer, Interpol - Lyon, France 15:20-15:40 Coffee break 15:40 16:00 Representative from Macedonian Customs Office Prevention of the illicit traffic of cultural properties best practices 16:00-17:30 Discussion-debate, moderated by Anthony Krause 17:30-18:00 Conclusions, by Anthony Krause, Head Culture Unit, UNESCO Venice Office and Lidija Topuzovska, Secretary-General of the Macedonian UNESCO National Commission
20:00 Dinner Friday 14 October 2011 Departure of foreign participants