UNESCO Highlights Peru’s Success in Recovering Cultural Heritage
Peru’s remarkable efforts to recover cultural objects through international cooperation
August 24th, 2026
UNESCO has highlighted Peru as a regional leader in the recovery and restitution of cultural property. In a new comparative study covering 15 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean between 2015 and 2023, UNESCO found that Peru recovered more than 10,000 cultural objects and submitted nearly 1,000 international claims, the highest number in the region. The organisation says the results demonstrate the importance of international cooperation, diplomatic action and coordination between institutions in combating the illicit trafficking of cultural heritage.
The study attributes Peru's results to a combination of factors: robust national regulations on cultural property, sustained engagement with other countries, and close coordination between domestic institutions. For Peru, recovering these objects carries particular weight, as they are closely tied to the country's history, identity and cultural diversity.
The issue is also part of a wider international effort to prevent the illicit movement of cultural heritage. UNESCO's 1970 Convention calls on countries to prevent the illicit import and export of cultural property and to cooperate in facilitating its restitution. Peru's experience therefore shows how international agreements can be translated into practical cooperation between countries.
Peru's results also stand out against the wider regional picture drawn by the study. Among the fifteen countries assessed, none submitted as many international claims, suggesting that Peru's approach - pairing diplomatic engagement with sustained institutional follow-through - could offer a reference point for other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean facing similar challenges.
The recovery of more than 10,000 objects therefore represents more than a collection of individual restitutions. It shows how cultural heritage can become an area of international cooperation, with diplomacy playing an important role in protecting a country's history and cultural identity.
