Imagine an invaluable ancient artifact that should be displayed in a museum, telling its historical story, instead being excavated by looters, circulating through black markets, and potentially ending up locked away in a private collector's vault. This cultural tragedy occurs daily across the globe. To combat the illegal plundering and trade of precious cultural heritage, the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) have launched a joint initiative.
Specialized Training to Combat Illicit Trafficking
From March 15-18, 2021, WCO and OSCE conducted a specialized virtual PITCH (Preventing Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Heritage) training program to enhance customs officials' capabilities in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Twenty-four customs officers from 13 administrations (Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine) along with representatives from the Regional Intelligence Liaison Office (RILO) participated in this capacity-building initiative.
The Urgent Need for Cultural Heritage Protection
Cultural heritage represents the treasures of human civilization, embodying historical, artistic, and cultural values. However, due to its high monetary worth and relative ease of cross-border transport, it has become a prime target for criminal networks. Illegal excavations, thefts, and smuggling operations pose severe threats to cultural heritage security, causing not only immeasurable economic losses but also damaging national cultural identities and historical memory.
Eastern Europe and Central Asia possess rich cultural heritage but face significant smuggling challenges. The region's geographical position at the crossroads of East and West, with complex terrain and extensive borders, creates opportunities for criminals. Additionally, some countries' relatively lower economic development levels and need for improved cultural protection awareness and law enforcement capacity make the area particularly vulnerable to heritage trafficking.
PITCH Training: Enhancing Professional Capabilities
The PITCH program focuses on developing customs officials' abilities to identify, intercept, and investigate illicit cultural property trafficking cases. The curriculum covers:
- Identification and authentication of cultural property: Training participants to recognize various types of cultural artifacts including archaeological objects, artworks, and religious items through examination of characteristics, craftsmanship, and historical context.
- Smuggling risk assessment and intelligence analysis: Teaching risk management methodologies to evaluate regional smuggling threats, identify high-risk shipments, routes, and criminal networks while developing analytical skills to extract actionable intelligence.
- International cooperation and information sharing: Emphasizing multinational collaboration through partnerships with INTERPOL, UNESCO, and foreign customs administrations to combat transnational trafficking networks.
- Legal frameworks and enforcement procedures: Educating officers about relevant international conventions, domestic laws, and proper enforcement protocols while analyzing successful case studies.
Expert Support and International Collaboration
The training received specialized support from INTERPOL's Art Theft Unit, University of Oslo researchers, and the Art Crime Research Association (ARCA), combining law enforcement expertise with academic knowledge and market analysis.
Pranab Kumar Das, WCO's Director of Compliance and Facilitation, noted: "The longstanding WCO-OSCE partnership in combating cultural property trafficking demonstrates how international organizations can create synergies while optimizing existing resources to deliver training. This proves particularly valuable when COVID-19 has disrupted capacity-building efforts and forced prioritization of anti-fraud operations."
Goran Stojkovski, OSCE's Customs Advisor, added: "The pandemic has altered criminal methodologies for both individual and organized groups involved in cultural property trafficking. Sustained vigilance and enhanced cross-border cooperation remain essential for effective interdiction. We believe this training will improve regional customs expertise and contribute to safeguarding Eastern and Central Europe's rich heritage."
Global Expansion of PITCH Training
This initiative advances the global PITCH deployment strategy outlined in the 2016 WCO Council Resolution and UN Security Council Resolution 2347 (2017). The program has already been successfully implemented in West/Central Africa, the Middle East/North Africa, Central Asia, the Balkans, Jordan, and Cuba, demonstrating its adaptability across diverse regions.
The current training represents continued WCO-OSCE collaboration following previous joint operations in Central Asia (2019) and the Balkans (2020), building upon their 2018 working agreement framework. Both organizations remain committed to addressing cultural property trafficking challenges through coordinated international efforts.