The significance of cultural property as “a basic element of civilization and national culture” and its interchange among countries for scientific, cultural and educational purposes has been acknowledged in a number of legal instruments prepared under the aegis of UNESCO, an intergovernmental organization dedicated to the preservation of the world's cultural heritage. As the Preamble of the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property asserts: “… [the interchange] increases the knowledge of the civilization of man, enriches the cultural life of all peoples and inspires mutual respect and appreciation among nations.” Moreover, the 1995 adopted UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects further attests to the: “…fundamental importance of the protection of cultural heritage and of cultural exchanges for promoting understanding between peoples, and the dissemination of culture for the well-being of humanity and the progress of civilization.”