UNESCO and Interpol will set up a virtual museum of stolen cultural property for educational purposes and as a reference for people in doubt about the origin of a piece, UNESCO announced Sunday.

Mexico City.- UNESCO's proposal is part of agreements passed at the World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development 2022 (Mondiacult), called by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and recently ended in Mexico's capital, attended by representatives from 150 countries.

One of the major goals of the virtual museum, which will be established over the coming three years and supported by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), is to help prevent non-accredited cultural goods sales.

Among decisions made, participants agreed upon a declaration considering culture as a global public good and established a common road map to strengthen public policies in this field.

In the document, the UNESCO Member States and partners called for international cooperation against cultural property trafficking.

During the meeting, participants also laid stress on the need for better protection of archaeological sites clearly vulnerable for not being cataloged, to prevent illegal diggings and looting. (PL)