#CultureUnderThreat: Antiquities Trafficking and Terrorist Financing
November 2, 2015
New Video Series Kicks off with UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova
The Antiquities Coalition is proud to continue bringing you insights from global leaders in the fight against cultural racketeering with the launch of its new video series.
#CultureUnderThreat: Antiquities Trafficking and Terrorist Financing kicks off with Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO, and one of the world’s foremost advocates for cultural preservation.
In this exclusive interview, Madame Bokova discusses the importance of public outreach in the fight against cultural racketeering. “We need to talk to young people, we need to go to the social media,” says Director General Bokova. “That is why I launched this #UnitedHeritage campaign in Baghdad, at the University of Baghdad, where the Antiquities Coalition was one of the first partners to come to join us.”
The series is premiering on our website and YouTube channel. A new episode will be released each week, featuring comments and analysis from top policymakers and experts. Future videos include Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, Cambodian Secretary of State Chan Tani, and Getty President James Cuno, among others.
Each of these interviews was shot onsite at the #CultureUnderThreat forum, which was held on September 24 in New York with our partners the Asia Society, Middle East Institute, and UNESCO. This unprecedented event brought together Foreign Ministers and senior officials from 9 nations with art and museum directors, corporate executives, military officers, and experts in heritage, law, security, and technology. The proceedings closed with a “Call to Action” for the international community to join forces in a strategic effort to both halt the trade in conflict antiquities and cut of a key source of funding for groups such as ISIS.
We believe that Director General Bokova, H.E. al-Jaafarii, H.E. Tani, Dr. Cuno, and our other guests have important messages for the international community. Please help us to make sure their voices are heard by sharing these videos widely. To subscribe — and keep informed of the Antiquities Coalition’s work to fight cultural racketeering — sign up for our e-newsletter here.