Edouard Planche

Edouard Planche

Edouard Planche joined the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe (Venice, Italy) in December 2018 as Regional Cultural Advisor and Head of Culture Unit.From 2008 to 2018,he was in charge of the programmeof fight against illicit trafficking of cultural objects (1970 UNESCO Convention and Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in case of Illicit Appropriation – ICPRCP).

Specialized in legal protection of cultural heritage, he started his career as legal advisor and course assistant at the International Development Law Organization (IDLO, Rome, Italy), before joining UNESCO in 1998. In his functions at UNESCO’s Sector for Culturehe focused on the preparation and implementation of several treaties dedicated to the protection of cultural heritage such (1954 The Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, 2001 Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage, 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage and 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions). Mr. Edouard Planche holds a master’s degree in public international law and art history from Aix-Marseille (France) and Exeter (UK) Universities.