Italy and nine African nations launch cultural heritage protection program

Italy and nine African countries have initiated a collaborative program to combat the illicit trafficking of art and cultural goods. The initiative is part of Italy’s Mattei Plan for Africa and is based on a three-year agreement between the Italian National School of Cultural Heritage and the African School of Cultural Heritage (EPA), headquartered in Benin.

The program focuses on professional training, the digitalization of museum collections, and establishing provenance for historical artifacts. Specialized units from the Italian Carabinieri, dedicated to protecting cultural heritage, are participating to share expertise in investigating thefts, illegal archaeological excavations, and international smuggling.

Participants include experts from Algeria, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Morocco, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, and Tunisia. Key objectives include creating joint digital archives to facilitate faster data exchange and the development of digital inventories to help identify stolen or illegally exported items on the international market.