What is Interpol's role in the fight against trafficking in works of art?

There are four main parts to Interpol's role:

1. The centralisation of information
2. The distribution of information. The rapid distribution of information to law enforcement agencies and the private sector is an important means of fighting illicit trafficking in cultural objects.
3. The organisation of international conferences. For example conferences on the illicit trade in stolen works of art in Central and Eastern Europe in Budapest, Hungary in June 1998 and in Mexico in December 1999 on the illicit trade in cultural objects in the Americas.
4. Close co-operation with the international organisations involved in the fight against trafficking in cultural objects (e.g. UNESCO, Council of Europe).

How does Interpol distribute information on stolen works of art?

Interpol has several means of distributing information:
1. Between 1947 and March 2000 the General Secretariat published, at the request of member states, international notices on stolen works of art. With the advance of technology, this method of distributing information has now ended.
2. Since 1972, a special notice on stolen works of art that are exceptionally valuable has been published by the General Secretariat. Up to 1986, the notice was entitled the "Twelve most wanted works of art" and was distributed once a year. The design of the notice was altered in 1987 and is now published in poster form in June and December each year.
3. In 1995, the General Secretariat developed the Automated Search Facility (ASF) Works of Art database comprising descrpitions and photographs of stolen works of art. Created by police officers for police officers the descriptions are simple, visual accounts of the works of art.
   The database was made available to member countries in January 1999. This constituted a major advance because it makes information available on stolen works of art worldwide only twenty-four hours after it has been entered into the General Secretariat database. Access is via the National Central Bureaux who can then pass on the information to the police services.
4. The Interpol Stolen Works of Art CD-ROM provides information to the private sector on stolen works of art. It is updated every two months. Included on the CD-ROM, along with information on stolen works of art, are the International Conventions from UNESCO in 1970 and UNIDROIT in 1995, a list of member countries and how to contact them, information on Object I.D. and a list of objects that are considered to be at risk.
   The CD-ROM is reasonably accessible to the public, as mentioned in the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention.

Interpol Stolen Works of Art CD-ROM: