International Symposium
Cultural Property Protection
An enabler for cooperation in Europe, the Mediterranean and the Gulf region
20–21 April 2026 – Constantine Leventis Auditorium, A.G. Leventis Gallery, Nicosia, Cyprus
About - Cultural Property Protection Symposium
Overview
- The illicit trade in cultural property continues to threaten heritage, identity, and stability across regions. From the looting of archaeological sites to the illegal circulation of sacred and historically significant objects, this global challenge demands coordinated and forward-looking responses.
- Aligned with the Political Guidelines of the European Commission (2024–2029), the International Symposium “Cultural Property Protection as an enabler for cooperation in Europe, the Mediterranean and the Gulf region” will tackle the complex issues surrounding cultural property protection through a multidisciplinary and forward-looking lens. By integrating legal, criminological, technological, geopolitical perspectives, and raising awareness at national and international level, the event will contribute to the Political Guidelines “Reuniting our societies, supporting our young people” pillar, fostering a deeper understanding of the values and traditions that define the European way of life. It aims to inspire especially younger generations to engage with and appreciate Europe’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, while reinforcing the shared responsibility to safeguard it for future generations.
- The International Symposium Cultural Property Protection as an enabler for cooperation in Europe, the Mediterranean and the Gulf region, serves as a platform for strategic dialogue and practical solutions. Bringing together experts in law, policy, criminology, technology, heritage protection, and geopolitics, the event encourages cross-sector collaboration between policymakers, enforcement authorities, researchers, and civil society.
- Hosted in Nicosia, the symposium positions Cyprus and the ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence as a strategic regional hub at the crossroads of Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Gulf region, strengthening cooperation in the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural property and heritage-related crimes.
Organizers - Cultural Property Protection Symposium
Organizers & Coordination
Under the Auspices
Supporters - Cultural Property Protection Symposium
Our Supporters
Authorities - Cultural Property Protection Symposium
Our Authorities
H.E. Vassiliki Kassianidou
H.E. Antonella Cavallari
Katariina Leinonen
H.E. Sergii Nizhynskyi
Dir Medea Sogor Ekner
Prof Diofantos Hadjimitsis
Mr. Panicos Pourgourides
Agenda - Cultural Property Protection Symposium
Agenda
9:00 - 9:30
Registration and Welcome Coffee
9:30 - 10:30
Opening Ceremony: Welcome Remarks and Greetings
10:30 – 13:00
Session 1: European and International Institutional Perspectives
14:30 - 16:30
Session 2: Operational Tools and Field Applications
10:00 - 13:00
Session 3: Museums and National Authorities in Cultural Property Protection
14:00 - 16:45
Session 4: Legal and Criminological Perspectives
Agenda - Cultural Property Protection Symposium
Agenda
09:00 - 09:30 Registration and welcome coffee
Opening Ceremony: Welcome Remarks and Greetings from the Organizers. Moderator: Ms Eliana Iliofotou
09:30 – 09:40
H.E. Vassiliki Kassianidou
Deputy Minister of Culture of Cyprus
09:40 – 09:50
Dr Panicos Pourgourides
Head of the Representation of the European Commission in Cyprus
09:50 – 10:00
H.E. Antonella Cavallari
Ambassador of Italy in Cyprus
10:00 – 10:10
Dr Katariina Leinonen
Head of Division – Integrated Approach for Peace and Security European External Action Service
10:10 – 10:20
Ms Medea Sogor Ekner
ICOM Director General
10:20 – 10:30
Ms Medea Sogor Ekner
ICOM Director General
10:30 – 10:40
Prof Diofantos Hadjimitsis
Managing Director ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence
Session 1: European and International Institutional Perspectives. Moderator: Dr Konstantinos Roussos
10:40 – 11:00
Angela Atzori
Illicit trafficking of cultural goods: EU policy perspectives and actions
Team Leader – Cultural Heritage European Commission Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture
11:00 – 11:20
Sophie Delepierre
The role of ICOM and the international museum community in Cultural Heritage Protection
Head of Heritage Protection at ICOM
11:20 – 11:40
COFFEE BREAK Sponsored by the Embassy of Italy in Cyprus
11:40 – 12:00
Aparna Tandon
Towards Integrated and People Centred Approaches for Managing the Risk of illicit Trafficking and Looting of Cultural Heritage
Project Manager and Leader of the First Aid to Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis Programme at ICCROM
12:00 – 12:20
Murat Yildiz
Disrupting Criminal Networks Behind Cultural Property Trafficking: From Intelligence to International Cooperation
Trafficking in Cultural Property Lead at the UNODC
12:20 – 12:40
Anastasiia Cherednychenko
Protecting Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis and War
Chair of ICOM Ukraine
12:40 – 13:20
PANEL DISCUSSION
13:20 – 14:30
LUNCH BREAK Sponsored by the Embassy of Italy in Cyprus
Session 2: Operational Tools and Field Applications. Moderator: Mr Alfio Gullotta
14:30 – 14:50
Giuseppe Marseglia
The Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage: history, organization, tasks, and operational tools
Commander of the Carabinieri for the Protection of Cultural Heritage – Monza Unit
14:50 – 15:10
Maria Xanthou
The Illicit Trafficking of Cyprus’s Cultural Heritage, especially Religious Historical Items – Cyprus Police Activities
Office Combatting Illicit Possessions and Trafficking of Antiquities of the Cyprus Police
15:10 – 15:30
Cameron Walter
The OSCE Heritage Crime Task Force: Global Law Enforcement Coordination in the Fight Against Trafficking of Cultural Property
Head of the OSCE Heritage Crime Task Force
15:30 – 15:50
COFFEE BREAK Sponsored by the Embassy of Italy in Cyprus
15:50 – 16:10
Tiziano Coiro
INTERPOL Support for Cultural Property Protection across Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Gulf Region
Head of the INTERPOL Works of Art Unit
16:10 – 16:30
Dante Abate
V.E.R.I.T.A.S. An AI-driven platform for the identification of trafficked artworks in online markets
Researcher at the ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence
16:30 – 17:10
PANEL DISCUSSION
19:00
SOCIAL DINNER Co-Sponsored by the ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence and the European External Action
Session 3: Museums and National Authorities in Cultural Property Protection. Moderator: Dr Dante Abate
10:00 – 10:20
Abdullatif Mohammed Al-Jasmi
International Cultural Heritage Relations in the Context of Fragility
Director of Cultural Heritage Protection – Qatar Museums
10:20 – 10:40
Alfio Gullotta
Cross-cutting cooperation in EU external action on cultural heritage protection
Policy Officer External European Action Service
10:40 – 11:00
Maxim Nasra
The role of cultural institutions: the Himaya Project at Qatar National Library – Raising awareness and building capacity in the Arab region
Head of Preservation and Conservation at Qatar National Library
11:00 – 11:20
COFFEE BREAK Sponsored by the ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence
11:20 – 11:40
Efthymios Shaftacolas
Illicit trafficking of cultural property: methods and strategies of the Department of Antiquities, Cyprus
Archaeological Officer at the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus
11:40 – 12:00
Lujza Varga
How can museums tackle heritage crime? The practice of the Hungarian National Museum Public Collection Centre
Leader of the department for international cooperation at the Hungarian National Museum
12:00 – 12:40
PANEL DISCUSSION
12:40 – 13:10
A.G. Leventis Gallery Guided Tour
13:10 – 14:20
LUNCH BREAK Sponsored by the ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence
Session 4: Legal and Criminological Perspectives. Moderator: TBC
14:20 – 14:40
Marina Solomidou Ieronymidou
Implementation of the Nicosia Convention
President of the National Commission for UNESCO
14:40 – 15:00
Ala’a Otain
Cultural Heritage Protection in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Implementing the 1954 and 1970 Conventions
Team Lead at the Saudi Heritage Commission
15:00 – 15:20
Christos Tsirogiannis
30 years of forensic research on international trafficking networks of antiquities: evidence, developments, and problems
Head of WG Illicit Antiquities at the UNESCO Chair on Threats to Cultural Heritage, Ionian University.
15:20 – 15:40
COFFEE BREAK Sponsored by the ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence
15:40 – 16:00
Arianna Visconti
At the crossroads of EU and international law (soft and hard): the 2022 (unfinished) reform in Italy
Associate Professor at the University Cattolica of Milan
16:00 – 16:20
Donna Yates
Cultural Heritage and Emerging Crime: Developing a Future-Focused Model of Threat and Harm
Associate Professor at Maastricht University
16:20 – 17:00
PANEL DISCUSSION
17:00 – 17:15
SYMPOSIUM CLOSING