Britney Stevens reports for the Jamaica Information Service (JIS). She writes that Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Honorable Olivia Grange and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director-General, Professor Khaled El-Enany met to sign the Instrument of Ratification for the UNESCO 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, on April 2, 2026. The agreement aims to stop the illegal trafficking of artefacts, prevent illicit import/export and establish legal frameworks for the return of stolen cultural property.
Jamaica has ratified the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, strengthening protection of the country’s cultural heritage. The agreement aims to stop the illegal trafficking of artefacts, prevent illicit import/export and establish legal frameworks for the return of stolen cultural property. “This will take us one step closer to ensuring the repatriation of our artefacts that were taken from Jamaica,” [the Hon. Olivia Grange] added.
She pointed out that Jamaica is now firmly positioned within the global network committed to preventing the illicit trafficking of cultural property “an activity that results in the erosion and loss of a nation’s history, a nation’s identity and collective memory, particularly for source countries like Jamaica”.
Cabinet approved the ratification, along with the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects, and amendments to the Jamaica National Heritage Trust Act, which have been submitted for drafting. “We deliberately aligned this process with amendments to the Jamaica National Heritage Trust Act, recognising that strong international commitments must be supported by robust domestic legislation,” Minister Grange pointed out. She underscored the practical implications of the ratification, particularly for enforcement agencies, noting that stronger legal backing will enhance their effectiveness.
Minister Grange also acknowledged the collaborative efforts of local and international partners in achieving this milestone. She outlined that Jamaica’s journey toward ratification included a series of capacity-building engagements, particularly among border-control and law-enforcement agencies.
These included regional workshops hosted in 2018 and 2020 with support from UNESCO, as well as additional sessions during the COVID-19 period in partnership with International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and the World Customs Organization.
There was also targeted training for approximately 200 officers of the Jamaica Customs Agency in Kingston and Montego Bay, equipping them to better identify, intercept and protect cultural property. [. . .]
The Minister said that Jamaica is actively working to recover cultural artefacts taken during the colonial period, with ongoing engagement with the United Kingdom (UK) and there are plans for an expert mission to support their return.
“In fact, the UK has invited us to send three of our experts to the UK to visit the British Museum, where they will be able to list all the items that were taken from Jamaica… That’s a good start,” she said. Ms. Grange underscored that the ratification represents a foundation for continued action rather than an endpoint. [. . .]
For full article, see https://jis.gov.jm/jamaica-strengthens-protection-for-cultural-heritage/
[Photo above by Danielle Myers: Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange (left), and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director-General, Professor Khaled El-Enany, are in discussion during the ceremony for the signing of the Instrument of Ratification for the UNESCO 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, on Thursday (April 2), at the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport in New Kingston.]