Larnaca, Cyprus. UNESCO launched a campaign at Larnaca airport on Friday to combat the illegal trafficking of cultural goods, in cooperation with Cypriot authorities and partners.
Campaign launch and objectives
Deputy Culture Minister Vasiliki Kassianidou said the fight against illicit trafficking is among UNESCO’s priorities and Cyprus’ as well, adding that Cyprus raised the issue as a priority for an informal Council to be held in June.
Kassianidou said the campaign aims to inform travellers that they should not take antiquities, noting that posters at the airport depict a Cypriot cross-shaped bench and a Cypriot vase. She said the posters were created through a collaboration between UNESCO and the European Commission, and that their visibility at Larnaca airport was particularly important.
“It is very important for us that Unesco chose Cyprus to start this campaign. The campaign will also be in other European countries, but it starts from Cyprus,” Kassianidou said.
Cooperation on repatriation efforts
Kassianidou referred to cooperation by a national committee comprising the antiquities department, customs authorities, the law office of the Republic, the Church and the police, and stressed its role in the repatriation of cultural objects.
Hermes Airports’ role
Hermes Airports CEO Eleni Kalogirou said the campaign would run for around two months and aims to raise awareness among travellers of Cyprus’ “very rich heritage” that must be preserved.
She said Hermes Airports recognises its role as the gateway to and from the Republic of Cyprus and wants to support UNESCO’s initiative, in collaboration with the deputy ministry of culture, to protect cultural heritage. Kalogirou added that the campaign would help travellers understand the importance of protecting objects that could otherwise be exploited or mishandled.
Link to organised crime
Marina Solomonidou-Ieronymidou, president of the Cyprus national UNESCO committee, emphasised the link between illegal trade in cultural goods and organised crime.
What steps will you take to ensure you do not buy or carry cultural objects that may have been illegally traded?
