Cultural heritage, as the treasure of human civilization, carries historical memories, national identity, and artistic brilliance. These precious legacies should be displayed under museum spotlights, telling stories of ancient civilizations and transmitting the light of human wisdom. However, driven by profit, cultural heritage faces threats of theft, smuggling, and illegal trafficking.
In West and Central Africa (WCA), cultural heritage protection faces even more severe challenges. The region boasts rich cultural heritage but also suffers from poverty, conflict, and governance issues that create fertile ground for illicit trafficking of cultural objects.
Defining Cultural Heritage and Its Importance
Cultural heritage refers to tangible and intangible cultural products with historical, artistic, scientific, social, political, or spiritual value. According to UNESCO, cultural heritage includes:
- Tangible cultural heritage: Artifacts, buildings, sites, monuments, sculptures, paintings, manuscripts, books, archives, tools, furniture, clothing, jewelry, musical instruments.
- Intangible cultural heritage: Oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festivals, knowledge about nature and the universe, traditional craftsmanship.
The importance of cultural heritage manifests in multiple dimensions:
- Historical value: Serving as witness to history, helping us understand the past, comprehend the present, and envision the future.
- Cultural value: Transmitting cultural genes and strengthening national identity.
- Artistic value: Inspiring aesthetic appreciation and elevating cultural literacy.
- Economic value: Promoting tourism development, creating employment opportunities, and improving living standards.
- Social value: Fostering social harmony, strengthening cohesion, and maintaining stability.
Challenges Facing Cultural Heritage in WCA
The WCA region possesses abundant cultural heritage including:
- Ancient civilization sites like Mali's Old Towns of Djenné, Niger's Historic Centre of Agadez, and Benin's Royal Palaces of Abomey.
- Traditional cultures including Mali's Griot oral tradition, Senegal's Wolof culture, and Nigeria's Yoruba culture.
- Natural heritage such as Côte d'Ivoire's Comoé National Park and Cameroon's Dja Faunal Reserve.
However, the region's cultural heritage confronts serious threats:
- Theft and smuggling of cultural objects due to poverty, conflict, and weak governance.
- Illicit excavations damaging cultural sites.
- Destruction from natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, and droughts.
- Human damage from wars, conflicts, and terrorist activities.
- Lack of public awareness about heritage protection.
- Inadequate legal frameworks for protection.
- Weak law enforcement capacity against illicit trafficking.
WCO's Role in Cultural Heritage Protection
The World Customs Organization (WCO), headquartered in Brussels, plays a crucial role in cultural heritage protection through:
- Developing international standards for cultural object import/export controls.
- Providing technical assistance to strengthen national protection capacities.
- Conducting training to enhance customs officers' skills in identifying and intercepting illicit trafficking.
- Facilitating international cooperation against cultural property crimes.
- Maintaining a cultural objects database to help identify stolen or trafficked items.
Regional Workshop Outcomes
The inaugural regional workshop on "Security and Development: The Role of Customs in Cultural Heritage Protection" brought together representatives from 15 WCA countries along with experts from INTERPOL, UNESCO's Dakar Regional Office, Burkina Faso's Ministry of Culture, and other stakeholders.
Key discussion topics included:
- Challenges in WCA cultural heritage protection.
- Customs' role in safeguarding heritage.
- Identification and interception techniques.
- International cooperation and information sharing.
- Legal frameworks for protection.
- Public awareness campaigns.
Major outcomes included:
- Enhanced understanding of heritage protection importance.
- Strengthened recognition of customs' protective role.
- Exchange of national best practices.
- Development of a comprehensive action plan.
Action Plan: Multi-Pronged Protection Strategy
The workshop produced a detailed action plan focusing on:
Awareness Raising
Targeted campaigns for customs officers, law enforcement, and the public about heritage protection importance and trafficking identification techniques.
Interagency Coordination
Establishing communication mechanisms between customs, police, cultural institutions, and international organizations for joint actions.
Practical Training
Specialized programs covering object identification, authentication, packaging, and transportation, plus simulation exercises.
Technical Support
Providing advanced scanning equipment, databases, and information systems to enhance inspection capabilities.
Legal Framework Enhancement
Reviewing national laws to align with international conventions and strengthen penalties for cultural property crimes.
International Cooperation
The workshop emphasized strengthening collaboration with INTERPOL, UNESCO, and other international bodies while promoting information sharing and joint operations between nations.
Looking Forward
This Burkina Faso workshop has injected new momentum into regional cultural heritage protection efforts while contributing valuable experience to global preservation initiatives. With continued international support and regional cooperation, WCA can build robust safeguards for humanity's shared cultural wealth.