News

During a session of the Seventh Meeting of States Parties to the 1970 Convention at UNESCO’s Headquarters, Lithuania was elected for the first time to the Subsidiary Committee of the Meeting of States Parties to the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property for four years.

Lithuania and Azerbaijan were elected to the Subsidiary Committee. The Russian Federation, which sought a second term, received the least votes and was defeated.

According to the Permanent Delegate of Lithuania to UNESCO, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Jolanta Balčiūnienė, as a member of UNESCO’s Subsidiary Committee, Lithuania will be able to make a significant contribution to the fight against the illicit import, export and transfer of ownership of cultural property. “A member of the Subsidiary Committee - Lithuania - will seek to actively contribute to stopping the looting of cultural property around the world, including in Ukraine, as the aggressor Russia has increased the illicit trafficking of Ukrainian cultural property,” Balčiūnienė said.

Besides Lithuania and Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Brazil, China, Iran, Zambia, Egypt and Palestine were also elected to the 1970 Convention Committee.

The UNESCO 1970 Convention urges States Parties to take measures to prohibit and prevent the illicit trafficking of cultural property. It provides a common framework for the States Parties on the measures to be taken to prohibit and prevent the import, export and transfer of cultural property.

To date, the 1970 Convention has been ratified by 143 states. Lithuania ratified it in 1998. The Subsidiary Committee is made up of representatives from 18 States Parties. The members of the Committee are elected for four years. Representatives from Lithuania will begin their work on this Committee on 1 June.