President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a law ratifying the Council of Europe Convention on Offences relating to Cultural Property. The law criminalizes actions related to the destruction of cultural heritage and illicit trafficking related to cultural property.
It is worth noting that on February 25 this year, the Verkhovna Rada ratified the Convention. The Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, along with other government agencies, played an active role in preparing the document for ratification.
The Nicosia Convention was adopted on May 3, 2017, in Nicosia, Cyprus. It establishes a framework for prosecuting crimes related to cultural property, including looting, illicit appropriation of cultural artifacts, unauthorised archeological works, the import, export and sale of cultural property, and the intentional destruction or damage of cultural heritage sites.
Additionally, the Convention provides a legal framework for extradition and mutual legal assistance between countries, aimed at holding offenders accountable and facilitating the return of stolen cultural property to their countries of origin.
