Illicit trafficking of Syrian cultural property

Syrian cultural heritage is experiencing violent and dangerous attacks during the recent crises. Due to the absence of cultural institutions, threats against heritage have increased and include illegal excavations; destruction by armed groups specializing in Antiquities threatening local populations trying to intervene; as well as the use of sites as battlegrounds. Due to the impossibility of access to some of the sites under ISIL control, information on their actual state cannot be given. However, 99% of Syrian cultural objects in museums are out of danger having been evacuated to safe places since 2012. As a result, we undertook several measures: in particular awareness raising campaigns amongst the population to protect the country's cultural heritage, cooperation with international actors to catalogue the damage and losses occurring to the cultural heritage of Syria. These included tracking Syrian objects in neighboring countries and Europe, appeals to all parties to avoid and respect archaeological sites, working with all DGAM branches (2500 employees throughout Syria) in all areas controlled by the government and opposition. A DGAM initiative from the beginning of the crises was to gather people by what unites not divides them and this situation invites all of us to do our best together to put an end to this damage besetting human cultural heritage.