Support project for the protection of Afghan heritage and the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural goods

At the request of the French Embassy in Kabul, Expertise France, in partnership with the National Heritage Institute (INP), is working on the implementation of a training programme on “heritage protection and the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural goods”.

This training programme primarily aims to facilitate a transfer of knowledge, the sharing of good practices and a networking of experts in order to build Afghan capacities and expertise in this field. Thanks to these actions, a Task Force can be created. It is made up of young Afghan experts who have proven themselves in the top French universities and are from various branches: heritage, law, justice, security, international cooperation. High-level French experts will be involved to give these young Afghans useful tools and knowledge which they will be able to put at the service of their country when they return.

On Sunday 15 August 2021, the Taliban seized Kabul, leading to a change of regime in Afghanistan. This shock event marked the return to power of the Taliban in the country and led to the forced departure of thousands of Afghans at risk to other countries, including France. Among them are a number of experts trained in France who benefited from a graduate scholarship as part of French aid for Afghan youth.

Furthermore, the fight against trafficking in cultural goods was one of the priority themes of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union (FPCEU), which ran from January to June 2022. The organisation of a conference at the Louvre to strengthen European cooperation in the fight against illicit trafficking in cultural goods on 1 February 2022 promoted the exchange of good practices and the networking of actors in this field. The courses of action identified were presented during the informal meeting of European Ministers of Culture from 7-8 March 2022 in Angers. In this context, and as part of the European Union’s strategy to fight organised crime, the Commission has adopted an action plan against trafficking in cultural goods for 2022-2025, in order to disrupt criminal activities and protect the cultural heritage. The overall objective of the plan is to:

• Raise awareness on this phenomenon
• Improve the exchange of information and cooperation (including with third countries)
• Strengthen capacities and expertise.

At the same time, 2022 is also the year of the celebration of the centenary of the French Archaeological Delegation in Afghanistan (DAFA), a flagship of France’s action in the country and the key institution called on by both UNESCO and the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH). A series of events has been organised to celebrate this centenary, including at the Louvre where the issue of illicit trafficking in cultural goods will be addressed.

The project’s main objective is to form an Afghan Task Force to fight against illicit trafficking in cultural goods and protect the heritage in Afghanistan.

In this respect, the project reflects the objectives of the European Commission’s action plan against trafficking in cultural goods mentioned above.

Furthermore, to ensure that this fight is as effective as possible, Expertise France has opted to base the training programme on the protection of heritage sites and the fight against their looting, so that action can be organised at the source of the problem. However, as it is a vast and multifaceted subject, the entire chain of the problem will be taken into account, as well as other aspects related to the phenomenon: legal framework, traceability of the stolen works, customs clearance…