UNESCO's forum held in Bangkok to tackle illicit trafficking of cultural heritage

BANGKOK, November 20 (TNA) - The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) organizes an international forum in Bangkok to tackle expanding illicit trafficking of cultural heritage across Southeast Asia. The UNESCO forum, entitled “Sub-regional Symposium for the Fight against Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Heritage in Southeast Asia, is being held at the Marriott Bangkok Hotel from November 19-21, 2014, aimed to counter the problem of illicitly cultural heritage trade by encouraging the international community to enforce serious preventive measures. Referring to a related international framework, UNESCO’s instrument on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, known as the 1970 Convention, Dr. Gwang Jo Kim, Director of UNESCO office in Bangkok, said that the fight cannot be effective unless global efforts are stepped forward and countries collaboratively act beyond their own borders to stop illicit trafficking of antiques and often-irreplaceable cultural heritage. Dr. Kim acknowledged that only Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar have already ratified the 1970 UNESCO Convention, out of 127 State Parties. Bovornvate Rungrujee, Director-General of Thailand’s Fine Arts Department, under the Ministry of Culture, noted that illicit trafficking of cultural heritage is transnational crime affecting a nation’s international cooperation and relations with others whenever antiques are wrongfully and innocently appeared in other countries, The senior official stated that Thailand is in a process toward ratifying the 1970 UNESCO Convention by gathering relevant information and doing research of lots of both pros and cons of controversial issues concerning the UNESCO convention. The ongoing symposium is organized in Southeast Asia by UNESCO for the first time to marshal efforts to help combat the illicit trade of cultural heritage throughout the Asian Pacific region. (TNA)