Under the enlightened leadership of King Mohammed VI, Morocco has undertaken bold measures to combat the illicit trade of cultural goods, Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid said on Monday in Rabat.
Speaking at the opening of an international conference on “the role of customs in the fight against the illicit trade of cultural goods”, Bensaid said that Morocco is committed to cultural heritage and values cultural goods, pointing out that these goods “are not mere artifacts or works of art, but are living testimonies of successive civilizations, a collective memory of Humanity and priceless treasures that reflect human creativity and civilizational interaction over centuries”.
The minister also pointed out that international criminal networks exploit conflicts and crises, while taking advantage of legal and technological loopholes to smuggle these goods out of their countries of origin.
“We have strived to strengthen our legal and judicial framework, in line with the relevant international conventions, notably the 1970 UNESCO Convention”, he said, noting that the ministry has also stepped up efforts in the fields of digitization and cultural property inventory, the first line of defense against theft and smuggling.
He added that the new law had come into force with new and important provisions aimed at limiting all harmful practices that threaten cultural heritage.
Held from June 30 to July 5 by ICESCO in collaboration with the Qatar General Customs Authority and the Qatar National Library, this international conference will feature several activities, including three meetings and a regional workshop during which two specialized training courses will be given: “Essential skills for the protection of cultural property” and “Tools and technologies used by customs for the protection of cultural property”.
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