Press Releases

In the framework of the Council of Europe 70th anniversary celebrations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office of the Commissioner for Volunteerism and Non-Governmental Organizations and the Council of Europe are co-organizing the international conference “Act for Heritage!Promoting the Council of Europe Convention on offences relating to cultural property, within governments and civil society” at Filoxenia Conference Centre in Lefkosia on October 24-26.

The opening ceremony will take place tonight (24/10) at the Presidential Palace, under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Nicos Anastasiades. The conference deliberations will open tomorrow morning with welcoming addresses by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Nikos Christodoulides, and the Deputy Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, Ms Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni.

The conference will be attended by officials of international organizations including the Secretary-General of the World Customs Organization, Dr Kunio Mikuriya. It will bring together more than 120 delegates from more than 40 countries, the EU, international organizations such as UNESCO and the OSCE, non-governmental organizations, academic and professional associations.

The participants will discuss, inter alia, effective ways to promote the universality of the Nicosia Convention and will consider possible synergies with other conventions under international law. They will also exchange views on the role of civil society, businesses and government authorities in combating cultural property offenses, as well as ways to raise public awareness through the media and education.

The Council of Europe Convention on Offences relating to Cultural Property, also known as the “Nicosia Convention”, was adopted during the Cyprus Chairmanship of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers in 2017. It has so far been ratified by the Republic of Cyprus and Mexico and has been signed by 10 other States. The Convention aims at preventing the destruction of cultural heritage and combating the illicit trafficking of cultural property and, the criminalization of related offenses, which are areas of particular concern for Cyprus.

The conference is supported by the European Union, through the Representation of the European Commission to Cyprus, the Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO, the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, the Bank of Cyprus and OPAP.

(EK/SCH)