ABSTRACT
The importance of the international exchange of cultural objects for fostering mutual understanding among people has been recognized since the earliest initiatives for the protection of movable heritage at the international level nearly a century ago. The earliest multilateral efforts to regulate the international trade in cultural objects were instigated under the auspices of the League of Nations' International Committee for Intellectual Cooperation (ICIC). These initiatives can only be understood within the context of the ICIC's ethos: the promotion of peace among nations through the pursuit of intellectual cooperation across borders. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is the specialist United Nations' agency in the field of culture and succeeded the functions of the League of Nations' ICIC. Regulation of the transfer, export and import of cultural objects through mutual assistance between states has been addressed by almost every region.
