Trieste conference addresses threats to cultural heritage

A conference held in Trieste on October 22 and 23, organized by the University of Trieste Museum System and MAB FVG, examined the risks facing cultural heritage during contemporary crises. Experts discussed how cultural destruction is increasingly used as a strategic and ideological tool in modern conflicts to erase community identity, alongside rising threats from climate emergencies.

Participants, including representatives from the British Institute of International and Comparative Law and the Polish Academy of Sciences, emphasized the need for better coordination between international humanitarian law, national and international criminal law, and UNESCO conventions. A 2026 report from an International Law Association working group was presented, proposing updates to the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.

The discussions also highlighted the role of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in addressing crimes against the financial interests of the European Union, which can include illicit trafficking affecting cultural heritage funds.