PRESS BRIEFING BY UNESCO DIRECTOR-GENERAL

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was negotiating with the occupying power in Iraq to send an assessment mission to Baghdad and possibly other important cultural sites during early May to obtain a clearer idea of what cultural artefacts had been taken, UNESCO’s Director-General said this morning at a Headquarters press briefing.

Koichiro Matsuura said yesterday’s expert meeting in London, with the cooperation of the British Museum and with some 40 participants had determined that now the most crucial step was to prohibit the exportation of Iraqi cultural goods from Iraqi territory, and also to take certain measures to stop their importation in certain countries.  To do that, a database must be quickly established to indicate what cultural goods should be put on the prohibited items list, for distribution to those on both the import and export ends of the illicit trafficking.  There was a rough idea of what important items had been stolen, but not much was known in detail.

The first meeting on the problem of protecting Iraqi cultural treasures had been held in Paris on 17 April, he said.  Seven Iraqi nationals had been part of the 30 participating experts.  A six-point recommendation had been produced, including one on cultural goods stolen from the Museum of Baghdad and other museums.

UNESCO was prepared to undertake the assessment trip and was awaiting a reply from the occupying power, he continued.  UNESCO also hoped to include visits to other important cultural sites, including Ashur, Nasara, Hatara, Masur and Basra.  The negotiations were taking place at the highest level of the United States Department of State, and with the occupying power in the field. 

Asked to comment on the looting that had taken place, he said he was not in favour of criticizing and did not find it useful to try and assess blame for events.  A concerted effort to prevent further losses and return items already taken was the most useful course of action.  The database was vital for that.  It would be distributed to soldiers, whose attention would be brought to the need to prevent violations against cultural artefacts.  Pressed further on the looting of the Baghdad Museum, he said it had occurred when bandits took advantage of the power vacuum created after the fall of Baghdad.  Organized gangs had led the looting, joined by civilians. 

Questioned about the value of the items to be included on the database, the Director-General said the market in the illicit trafficking of cultural goods was enormous.  At an estimated $5 billion per year, it was probably second only to the annual estimated amount involved in the trafficking of drugs.  The market included not only direct traffickers, but also inadvertent buyers who didn’t know what they were buying.  That included both museums and private collectors, most of whom were ready to return stolen goods once that status became known.  Japan, for example, had returned more than 100 items taken from Afghanistan. 

Asked what was being done to recover the antiquities stolen from the Baghdad museum, the Director-General said steps to prevent theft and return goods were being taken at both the export and import ends of the trafficking process.

The first step was to make sure items didn’t leave Iraq, he continued.  The borders on both sides of the country were being patrolled.  Jordan, for example, had recovered artefacts from travellers’ bags.  The Iraqi people were being paid to voluntarily give back stolen cultural goods on a small scale, and there were plans to enlarge that effort. 

The second step was to take measures at the import level, he added.  For example, goods had been reported surfacing in Europe, Israel, Washington, D.C. and Boston, and the countries involved had been asked to tighten their control at entry points.  UNESCO had also recruited intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to cooperate with efforts to safeguard the treasures.  The World Association of Art Dealers and Museums, the International Council of Museums, Interpol and customs organizations were all cooperating.

Responding to another question, Mr. Matsuura explained that UNESCO’s 1970 Convention on the prohibition of illicit trafficking in cultural goods had been ratified by 97 countries, including the United States.  However, 90 countries had not acceded to the convention and, therefore, it was necessary to go beyond it, in this instance.  He would be meeting with the Secretary-General this afternoon.  Security Council involvement was being considered, for setting up a UNESCO office in Baghdad and for longer-term involvement in rebuilding the education and cultural systems damaged since the first gulf war.  UNESCO had been involved before the present situation in the context of the “oil-for-food” programme.  Sizeable contributions were now coming in from a number of countries.  The United States had recently announced a $2 million contribution for safeguarding Iraqi cultural heritage.  It was not known what portion would go to UNESCO. 

Finally, he said organized looting had also taken place after the first gulf war.  UNESCO had not been involved in recovering those items, because sanctions had been in place against Iraqi officials.  In that case, it was thought that 4,000 items and been stolen and 1 per cent, or 40 items, had been recovered.  Under the present circumstances, UNESCO had more freedom of movement.

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