UNESCO launches world’s first virtual museum of stolen objects

UNESCO has decided the dates to unveil the groundbreaking museum of stolen cultural objects, the world's first virtual institution dedicated to combating cultural heritage trafficking on September 29, 2025.

The MONDIACULT 2025 conference in Barcelona, is innovative platform employs state of the art 3D modeling and virtual reality technologies to digitally reconstruct looted artifacts and raise global awareness about illicit cultural property trade.

The world’s largest cultural policy conference which is set to take place on September 29, 2025, at Sala 212 and will be live on UNESCO YouTube channel.

Pritzker prize-winning architect Francis Kéré with financial support from Saudi Arabia, the platform includes a dedicated exhibition space highlighting successful restitution cases to promote international cooperation.

The virtual museum in collaboration with INTERPOL, will offer immersive experiences through VR headsets or personal devices, allowing global visitors to explore culturally significant objects that have been stolen or trafficked.

The initiative represents a major technological advancement in heritage preservation, combining forensic documentation with accessible digital education to combat what the UN agency identifies as one of the most pervasive challenges to global cultural heritage.