High-Level Workshop to Combat Illicit Trafficking of Sudanese Heritage

Moatinoon
From 16–20 February 2026, the UNESCO Sudan Office led a high-level gathering dedicated to combating the looting and illicit trafficking of Sudanese cultural property and strengthening national institutional capacity to protect it, in partnership with the National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums, with generous support from Italy through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation.

The meeting brought together Sudanese heritage specialists, legal authorities, and international partners with an urgent shared goal: safeguarding Sudan’s cultural heritage from looting, loss, and disappearance—an essential step toward reinforcing the country’s ability to protect museums, archaeological sites, archives, and living heritage amid ongoing conflict.

Discussions focused on counter-trafficking strategies, stronger legal frameworks, and improved documentation and inventory systems, including digital tools. Participants highlighted the need for enhanced coordination among cultural institutions, law enforcement, customs, and judicial authorities, as well as the critical role of communities and youth in protecting both tangible and intangible heritage.

Thirty experts reviewed 28 technical papers and agreed on priority actions, including advancing emergency protection and documentation, strengthening anti-trafficking enforcement mechanisms, establishing secure and harmonised national heritage databases, improving rapid-response coordination systems, promoting community- and youth-led safeguarding initiatives, and supporting the creative sector through phased recovery measures.

Aligned with UNESCO’s Emergency Action Plan for Sudan, these outcomes aim to reinforce institutional resilience, advance restitution efforts, and contribute to long-term recovery and peacebuilding.

Organisers stressed that Sudan’s heritage is not only about the past—it is identity and the foundation for rebuilding—reaffirming UNESCO Sudan Office’s commitment to protecting it.