Kingston, 2 April 2026 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, on behalf of the Government of Jamaica today signed 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.

Minister Grange was given authority to sign the Instrument of Ratification on behalf of Government by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith.

Minister Grange signed the instrument in the presence of the Director-General of Unesco, Mr Khaled El-Enany, who is paying an official visit to Jamaica. His visit is the first by a Unesco Director-General to Jamaica in 23 years

Mr El-Enany, said Jamaica had been a solid partner with Unesco and that the organisation would remain faithful to the partnership.

Minister Grange said, “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.

“Cabinet approved not only ratification of the 1970 UNESCO Convention, but also the 1995 International Institute for the Unification of Private Law Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects, along with amendments to the Jamaica National Heritage Trust Act, which have now been submitted for drafting instructions.
“Jamaica is also actively pursuing the return of cultural objects removed during the colonial period. We are encouraged by the progress being made through constructive engagement with the United Kingdom, where dialogue has already begun and plans are in place for an expert mission.

“The signing is a significant step forward in the protection and preservation of Jamaica’s cultural heritage. It firmly positions our country within the global network committed to preventing the illicit trafficking and theft of our artefacts, activities that result in the erosion and loss of a nation’s history, identity, and collective memory, particularly for source countries like Jamaica.”

She said the ratification sends a clear message that Jamaica values its heritage, Jamaica protects its cultural property, and Jamaica will not allow its history to be traded away.

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