On Saturday, 5 July 2025, at the headquarters of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in Rabat, the regional workshop on “The Role of Customs Authorities in Combating Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Property” concluded its proceedings. The five-day workshop was organized by ICESCO, in cooperation with the Qatar National Library, the General Customs Authority of the State of Qatar, and the Customs and Indirect Taxes Directorate of the Kingdom of Morocco.

The workshop concluded with a working session to present the “White Paper” methodology, which aims to strengthen coordination between customs authorities, build effective partnerships to combat cultural property smuggling networks, develop shared databases, and improve mechanisms for documenting and storing confiscated cultural property, thus contributing to enhancing customs efficiency and regional and international cooperation.

In the closing session, Mr. Mohamed Hedi Shili, Director of Legal Affairs and International Standards at ICESCO, presented the final recommendations and outcomes of the workshop, which called for strengthening cooperation and integration between customs authorities, law enforcement agencies, museums, and cultural organizations in the Islamic world in order to protect cultural heritage from illicit trafficking. Certificates of appreciation were also handed out to participants in recognition of their contributions to the success of this key regional event.

The workshop was attended by a select group of customs and security officials and experts from ICESCO Member States, who discussed several topics related to the international legal framework for the protection of cultural property, modern techniques in customs inspection and control, and ways to develop institutional cooperation and improve the efficiency of coordination and joint action.