UNESCO World Heritage Site in Tyre, Lebanon. UNESCO to Launch Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural Property Culture and Education
UNESCO has announced the launch of a virtual museum of stolen cultural property, which will open in 2025. The project, which has no analogues in the world, will be a powerful tool for raising awareness about the problems of illicit trafficking in cultural property, its restitution and return. The museum will not only record lost artefacts, but also provide detailed information about their origin, significance and efforts to return them. These and other issues were discussed at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Virtual Museum
The UNESCO project to create a virtual museum of stolen cultural property involves the use of advanced technologies to create 3D models, high-quality images and educational content. Virtual exhibits will help visitors immerse themselves in the world of lost collections and understand the importance of preserving cultural heritage. Interactive stories and digital materials will make the project accessible to a wide audience. The museum will be in constant dynamics: as lost artefacts are returned, the size of the collection will decrease.
As reported in the UN Secretary-General’s report on the return or restitution of cultural property to its countries of origin, the architect Francis Kéré, winner of the 2022 Pritzker Prize, is involved in the creation of the museum.
The project he proposed is based on architectural principles inspired by the baobab tree, which has great cultural and spiritual significance in Africa as a symbol of resilience, identity and belonging.
The sketches for the museum were presented in October 2023 at a meeting at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, where Member States discussed possible exhibits.
Resolution on the return of cultural property
Following the meeting of the General Assembly, a resolution was adopted, proposed by Greece in collaboration with dozens of other countries, including Russia, entitled “Return or restitution of cultural property to the countries of origin.” The document calls on all states to take the necessary steps to return such property to its rightful owners. The resolution includes the topic of restitution of property removed before the signing of the 1970 Convention.
The British Museum building in London.
Controversy over the return of cultural treasures
In parallel with the creation of the virtual museum, UNESCO continues to work on the return of lost artefacts. One of the most high-profile disputes concerns the Parthenon sculptures, known as the Elgin Marbles, which were removed from Greece in the early 19th century and have been in the British Museum since 1817. Greece claims that the sculptures were removed illegally, while Britain insists that the acquisition was legal. UNESCO is calling on the parties to engage in dialogue to resolve the dispute.
Another case concerns the Ife Bronze Head, which was brought to Belgium by a Belgian collector in 2007. He attempted to sell it to a London auction house in February 2017. It has since been proven that the Ife Head was stolen from the National Museum in Jos, Nigeria, in 1987. The artefact is currently held by the London Metropolitan Police Service and is at the centre of a complex legal battle involving Nigeria and Belgium.
Another example is the skull of Rhodesian Man, discovered in Zambia in 1921 and housed in the Natural History Museum in London. Zambia is actively pursuing its return, and UNESCO is facilitating negotiations between the parties.
The Importance of the 1970 Convention
UNESCO’s work to combat illicit trafficking in cultural property is built on the 1970 Convention. Since 2021, five new countries, including Turkmenistan, have acceded to it, bringing the total number of parties to 146. The Convention provides a unique legal framework to prevent the illicit export and facilitate the restitution of cultural property, which is particularly important for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
International Cooperation to Combat Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Property
As reported in the report of the UN Secretary-General, UNESCO actively continues to train law enforcement and judicial officials to prevent illicit trafficking in cultural property. From 18 to 20 January 2023, with the support of the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund and the State Institute of Cultural Heritage of Poland, training was organized for 35 officials from Hungary, Poland, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine. The participants received practical knowledge and recommendations on combating the illicit export of cultural property, which is especially relevant in the context of military conflict.
View of Lviv.
Support for Ukrainian museums
UNESCO also helps Ukraine preserve its cultural heritage. In October 2023 and February 2024, two workshops for museum professionals were held at the UNESCO Cultural Centre in Lviv. In collaboration with leading global institutions such as the Getty Conservation Institute, the Smithsonian Heritage Rescue Initiative and the Louvre, 86 Ukrainian museum professionals were trained in collection management, digitization and sustainability. This initiative helps protect Ukraine’s cultural property in difficult wartime conditions.
Destruction of Cultural Heritage in Gaza
As hostilities continue in the Gaza Strip, UNESCO and its partners are monitoring the destruction of cultural sites. From October 2023 to July 2024, damage to 64 sites was confirmed, including 37 buildings of historic and/or artistic significance, 11 religious and seven archaeological sites, six monuments, two repositories of movable cultural property and one museum.
As part of the emergency assistance for the Gaza Strip, provided for by the resolution of the UNESCO General Conference, an action plan has been developed and is being implemented. It focuses on the monitoring and protection of vulnerable cultural heritage in the conflict zone.
These initiatives underline the importance of international cooperation in the protection of cultural property, particularly in situations of conflict and crisis.
A New Future for World Heritage
The creation of a virtual museum of stolen property and efforts to return lost artefacts raise important issues in the preservation of cultural heritage. This and other UNESCO projects demonstrate that modern technology can be a powerful ally in the fight to protect and restore lost values, and that international cooperation remains a key factor in preserving human history.