Rabat (UNA-OIC) – The Culture and Communication Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a national training session on combating illicit trafficking of cultural property in Libya, under the slogan “Together Towards Optimal Protection of Our Heritage”.
The training session was held in cooperation with the Libyan National Commission for Education, Culture and Science and the Department of Antiquities in Libya. It aims to train workers in the field of cultural heritage protection on the steps to follow to combat and address illicit trafficking of cultural property.
The opening session of the three-day event was held on Monday, September 27, at the Royal Palace in Tripoli and saw the participation of Dr. Musa Muhammad Al-Maqrif, Minister of Education, President of the Libyan National Commission for Education, Culture and Science; Dr. Faraj AlSuwais, Secretary-General of the National Commission, in addition to several officials, experts and researchers in the field.
In his address, Dr. Al-Maqrif commended ICESCO’s support to address illicit trafficking of cultural property and safeguard archaeological sites. He also highlighted the interest the Libyan National Commission accords to Libya’s cultural and natural heritage through gearing its efforts toward publicizing such heritage in national and international spheres, ensuring its sustainable preservation, and providing all forms of technical and material support to set up working mechanisms aimed at achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
The training session was moderated by a host of experts in combating illicit trafficking of cultural property and aims at building the capacities of workers in the field of cultural heritage protection in Libya, keeping up with the latest developments regarding illicit trafficking of antiquities and cultural property, and raising the level of awareness and readiness of the staff to combat this phenomenon.
The session also aims at reviewing the shortcomings of legislation and implementation mechanisms, proposing solutions to address them, and benefiting from international expertise in the field.
Participation certificates will be delivered to the trainees, signed by ICESCO, at the end of the training session on Wednesday, September 29, 2021.