Statement By The Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran Before 17th Session of Working Group International Cooperation Agenda Item 3: Best practices and challenges in combating trafficking in cultural property: the applicability of the provisions of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (2-3 July 2026) بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Madam Chair, As this is the first time my delegation takes the floor, the Islamic Republic of Iran wishes to extend its sincere congratulations on the twentieth anniversary of the Working Group. We also express our appreciation to you, Madam Chair, to the Secretariat for its dedicated preparation of the documentation, and to the panelist for their valuable and informative contributions. Madam Chair, For my country, safeguarding cultural heritage is not only a legal obligation but a profound human responsibility. Iran, as one of the world’s oldest civilizations, holds thousands of archaeological sites and historical monuments that reflect the shared heritage of humanity. This has long made Iran a target of illicit excavation, removal and trafficking of cultural objects. Over the past year, Iran has faced unprovoked acts of aggression and destabilizing armed attacks that deliberately targeted cultural property as civilian objects. These actions, in clear violation of international law and the obligation to protect cultural heritage, caused serious damage and exposed cultural sites to heightened risks of destruction, looting and illicit removal.Despite these externally imposed risks, Iran’s national authorities acted swiftly and effectively. Strengthened monitoring, rapid protective measures and close oversight prevented criminal networks from exploiting the situation. Illegal excavations did not increase compared to the period before these hostile actions, and no opportunity was created for traffickers to misuse the circumstances. Madam Chair,Trafficking in cultural property is a multifaceted transnational crime. Criminal networks exploit legislative gaps, limited border controls and the complexity of provenance verification. They move objects through multiple transit points, obscure their origins and take advantage of opaque markets. These methods complicate national protection efforts and hinder effective international responses.The Organized Crime Convention provides a foundation for cooperation. However, many of the practical obstacles faced by States stem not only from domestic limitations but also from external factors that significantly constrain their ability to act. In particular, unilateral coercive measures and related restrictions disrupt international cooperation, impede the provision of technical assistance, and limit access to financial, technological and operational resources.In this regard, the Islamic Republic of Iran believes that progress requires practical, balanced and cooperative measures. Accordingly, we propose the following recommendations, which may also be relevant under other agenda items of the Working Group:• To encourage Member States to provide effective, needs‑based technical assistance — without discrimination or political conditionality — including appropriate technology and equipment transfer, in order to strengthen national capacities and support law enforcement authorities in preventing, detecting and responding to the increasingly complex methods used in the trafficking of cultural property, including illicit excavation, removal, transit and laundering of cultural objects.• To encourage Member States to refrain from adopting, maintaining or implementing unilateral coercive measures that hinder international cooperation, impede the provision of technical assistance, restrict access to financial, technological or operational resources, or otherwise undermine the ability of States to prevent, detect, investigate, recover and return trafficked cultural property .• To request the Secretariat to collect structured and comparable data from Member States and prepare a comprehensive analytical report on the challenges and obstacles encountered in countering trafficking of cultural properties, including legislative, operational and technological gaps, as well as external impediments affecting international cooperation. Thank you madam Chair