UNESCO Database on National Laws for the Protection of Cultural Heritage

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has brought a number of improvements to its NATLAWS Database of National Cultural Heritage Laws. It is a tool for combating the illicit traffic in cultural property.

"In the event of a legal question about the origin of an object (which may have been stolen, pillaged, or illegally exported, imported or acquired), it is useful to have rapid access to the relevant national laws."

"The UNESCO Database of National Cultural Heritage Laws allows the following to be consulted: 

• national laws currently in force related to the protection of the cultural heritage in general;
• import/export certificates for cultural property (available on request);
• official or unofficial translations of national laws and certificates;
• contact details for the national authorities responsible for the protection of the cultural heritage;
• addresses of the official national websites dedicated to the protection of the cultural heritage."

The database gives access to more than 3000 laws, decrees and amendments that cover areas such as monuments, archaeological sites, paintings, coins, archaeological objects, shipwrecks, underwater cities, etc.

Enhancements include the scanning of existing documentation in high-definition, improving the quality of the documents and transforming its interface making it more accessible to users.