Legal measures to combat the trafficking of antiquities that serve to finance terrorism

Abstract

The rise of terrorist groups in Middle Eastern countries has led to the looting and trafficking of cultural objects in an attempt to raise funds for the illicit activities they engage in. This study focuses on the effectiveness of various international instruments, resolutions and the domestic laws of various countries in the fight against the trafficking of cultural objects by terrorist organisations. The focus will be primarily on the 1954 Hague Convention, the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, as well as the UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects. The domestic laws of the US, the UK, Syria, Iraq and South Africa are analysed and their effectiveness determined. Recommendations are made about the current international instruments and the domestic laws of the countries discussed, as well as the challenges most likely to be experienced when addressing this unique and largely under-publicised problem. Die opgang van terroris groepe in Midde-Oosterse lande het gelei tot die plundering en ruilhandel van kulturele voorwerpe in ‘n poging om fondse in te samel vir die onwettige bedrywighede waarby hulle betrokke is. Hierdie studie fokus op die effektiwiteit van verskillende internasionale instrumente, resolusies en die plaaslike wette van verskillende lande in die stryd teen die ruilhandel van kulterele voorwerpe deur terroriste-organisasies. Daar word hoofsaaklik gefokus op die 1954 Haagse Konvensie, die 1970 UNESCO Konvensie oor the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, asook die UNIDROIT Konvensie oor Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects. Die plaaslike wette van die VSA, die VK, Sirië, Irak, asook Suid Afrika word ondersoek en hul effektiwiteit vasgestel. Voorstelle word gemaak met betrekking tot die huidige internasionale instrumente en die plaaslike wetgewing van die bogenoemde lande en die uitdagings wat ondervind word wanneer hierdie unieke problem wat tot dusver min aandag geniet het, ondersoek word.