Technical Cooperation

Not all States have the same means to apply international conventions. Some do not yet have up-to-date legislation; others lack trained officers or tools to identify cultural property. These gaps create loopholes that traffickers exploit.

Technical cooperation aims to reduce these gaps, in the interest of all members: one weak link weakens the whole system.

Any Member State may submit a request, through its focal point. Priority is given to States whose contribution falls in the lowest bands of the scale and to those that have just joined, during the probationary period or within two years of accession.

Regional organizations and public bodies may be associated with the project, but the request remains the State's.

Legal assistance helps transpose conventions and draft national texts. Technical assistance covers training, equipment and the organization of services. The online aid request centralizes the procedure and allows the file to be tracked.

These parts are complementary: a draft legislation project is often accompanied by training for the officers responsible for applying it.

The five offices, in Paris, Geneva, New York, Singapore and Nairobi, provide proximity to applicants. They know the regional contexts, languages and networks, and relay the missions of Headquarters.

The competent office is the first point of contact for preparing the request, but the decision to grant support is taken at Headquarters.

Technical cooperation is funded by part of the regular budget, by voluntary contributions from States and by partners, such as cooperation agencies or foundations. Large-scale projects may be co-financed.

Results are presented each year in the activity report and in the Organization's activities.