The International Training Workshop titled « Combating Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Properties: Documentation and Preservation » concluded its activities with a series of recommendations aimed at enhancing efforts in cultural property documentation. The workshop, held from December 10 to 15, 2024, was jointly organized by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Qatar National Library, and the National Library of the Kingdom of Morocco.

The recommendations included developing comprehensive systems for documentation, creating national databases, leveraging modern technologies in documentation, supporting international databases, and strengthening the implementation of international agreements and security cooperation in this field.

Additionally, the recommendations emphasized launching widespread awareness campaigns on the issue of illicit trafficking in cultural property, engaging youth and civil society to highlight the significance of cultural heritage, and enhancing capacity building through training workshops for professionals in the documentation field. Other priorities included activating and updating national legislation, imposing stricter legal penalties in alignment with international conventions and standards, encouraging institutional funding and private sector involvement, and developing emergency plans to safeguard cultural properties during crises. Strategies were proposed for the protection of heritage during armed conflicts or natural disasters, including the formation of rapid response teams.

Throughout its sessions, the workshop addressed key international standards for documenting cultural property and examined the role of documentation as a primary tool in combating illicit trafficking. It also introduced general rules for describing cultural properties in museums. Specialized lectures were delivered by experts in cultural heritage protection, hosted at the National Library of Morocco. Topics included combating the forgery of cultural properties, standards for documenting manuscripts and rare books, and methods for collecting and recording metadata of cultural collections.