Mr Paolo Giorgio Ferri Curriculum vitae et honorum ... - Unesco

Mr Paolo Giorgio Ferri
International Expert in Cultural Goods Juridical Problems for the Italian Ministry of Cultural
Heritage
Italian Nationality; date of birth: 17 October 1947.
Curriculum vitae et honorum.
Coming from the Italian Public Service, I started my career as magistrate on December
30, 1977, first as judge and then as Public Prosecutor in Rome. Now I act as
International Expert in Cultural Goods Juridical Problems for the Italian Ministry of
Cultural Heritage.
The following publications well illustrate my interests and vocational training. And, inter
alia, I would like to point out that in the annual journal dedicated to "International cooperation
to inhibit the illicit trade of cultural goods" I wrote three articles entitled: "The
return and recovery as central point to fight the removal of cultural goods from their
place of origin, and consequent illicit profits. International rogatories"; "Connections
between International Conventions, rules governing the protection of cultural goods and
the inventory and certificate activity"; and "Brief notes on good and bad faith in the
relationships linked to cultural goods, both in the Italian legal system and that of other
countries". Moreover, in "Criminal Cassation I wrote "Discovery of cultural goods and
obligation to report them"; and "The recent code of cultural goods and issues related to
the determination of the good's cultural importance". Then I wrote explanatory notes on
"The Code of cultural heritage - Criminal offences" published by Giuffrè.
Activity as teacher, lecturer and magistrate:
a. As of 1996, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage charged me to give annual lessons
to the Italian Police Forces, on the illicit traffic of cultural goods, in particular on
matters linked to international co-operation;
b. I participated in a 15-day stage on the English criminal trial and substantive law
in London; and at the University of Urbino I gave some lessons on the UK
criminal procedure. With reference to matters concerning cultural objects, I then
widened my knowledge on the legal systems of other countries such as
Germany, Switzerland, U.S. and Japan;
c. I attended a session before the British Parliament in London, to discuss the
problems related to the illicit traffic of cultural goods;
d. I took part in the study meetings on "A trans-national jurisprudence-research on
international rogatories, international investigations and the evidence formed

abroad"; on "European judicial co-operation; from extradition to the European
warrant of arrest"; and on "Co-ordination of the investigations on international
terrorism";
e. In February 2007 I have been called to coordinate a pool of Public Prosecutors
devoted to the prosecution of offences concerning the integrity of the Italian
cultural heritage; and since 1995 I have been prosecuting offences concerning
the integrity of the Italian cultural heritage. I initiated many investigations against
dealers, not only in Italy, but also in the rest of Europe, as well as in America,
Japan and Australia. In particular, as of July 2005, I have represented the
prosecution in the case before the Court of Rome, versus Emanuel Robert Hecht
and Marion True (former curator of the J.P. Getty Museum of Los Angeles-
California), who have been charged with conspiracy and handling, in relation to
an illicit traffic of archaeological items of huge proportions. This case has marked
the beginning of a new policy regarding acquisitions on the part of many
Museums all around the world who made themselves available to return many
cultural goods stolen from Italy in the past.
f. In May 2009 I was appointed, as key expert, on behalf of the European
Community for a twinning light project on “Further strengthening the
administrative capacity of the Public Prosecutor’s Office for fighting organized
crime in the sphere of cultural goods in particular and related applicable EU
acquis”;
g. On 17th June 2009 I attended as speaker to the seminar on “Prosecuting in the
recovery of stolen object: the magistrate’s experience”, held in Vicenza (Italy)
and organized by UNESCO for specialized African Officials;
h. In August 2010 I was appointed as an expert in fighting the illicit trafficking in
cultural goods (emerging crime) for UN - UNODOC in Vienna;
i. On 23-26 of November 2010 I attended as speaker to the regional workshop
organized by IILA in Quito – Ecuador on the administrative and judicial
cooperation aimed at the repatriation of cultural items;
Thanks to my previous work experience, I developed a skill in respect to the crimes that
are perpetrated against the cultural heritages and I have become in this respect a point
of reference, not only for the Italian Police Forces, but also for Police Forces and
Judiciaries of other nations.