The UK joins 91 other countries that have already signed up to the 1970 Unesco convention. The international agreement will make it easier for countries to reclaim stolen works of art which surface in the territories of fellow signatories. My department is also working closely with the Home Office to examine the feasibility of establishing a database of stolen and illegally removed cultural property.
Police believe that criminals launder profits through untraceable stolen goods.
Delighted' Professor Norman Palmer, who headed an advisory panel to the government on the stolen art trade, welcome the decision. The UK's participation, I believe, will be seen as a milestone in the progress of the convention. Last year a 3m painting by French impressionist Paul Cezanne was stolen from an Oxford museum. Warning stickers for terror videos Industry seeks future rock stars Final Pig Brother eviction close Links to more Entertainment stories are at the foot of the page.