Interoperability as a Preservation Tool: Databases on International Trafficking in Cultural Goods

Various databases constitute combative tools for heritage preservation institutions. They exist in large numbers, some being more interoperable than others, but they all seek the same thing: to curb the privatisation of the common good, through the survey and alert of what has already been subtracted or stolen. The problem does not lie in the number of bases but in the lack of informational interconnection between them. In other words, there is a lack of interoperability between the bases. In this chapter, we will present a set of international databases that have established themselves as an important legal framework in the fight against the trafficking in cultural goods. On the other hand, interoperability should not be seen as a tool to solve all problems, but a robust ally that must be implemented in conjunction with other interconnected actions that form the mechanisms for combating international trafficking in cultural goods today.