13th-15th APRIL 2027
LISBON, PORTUGAL

Cameron Walter

Cameron Walter

  • Head of Heritage Crime Task Force and Programme to Combat Trafficking of Cultural Property
  • OSCE

    Cameron Walter is the Head of the OSCE Heritage Crime Task Force and Customs Advisor since 2020. He was a member of the initial OSCE pilot project expert roster for combatting trafficking of cultural heritage starting in 2017. Since joining the OSCE permanently, Cameron transformed the once-pilot into the full-fledged Programme to Combat Trafficking of Cultural Property (and its linkages to Organized Crime and Terrorism Financing), and created the Heritage Crime Task Force, growing the expert roster of 10 to the current 82 officers/experts from 46 countries and international organizations. In the past 4 years, Cameron and the Task Force have coordinated operations, real time intelligence sharing and simulation-based capacity building with 49 of the 57 OSCE participating States and 5 Partners for Cooperation, and other external States, and has assisted countries in seizing and/or repatriating over 3400 objects valued close to €200 million.
    The Heritage Crime Task Force is a unique in the world team, bringing together police, customs, border guards, forensic, financial and cyber investigators, museums, ministries of culture and state prosecutors to assist participating States as a rapid response team, and to deliver multi-country, cross-agency immersive heritage crime investigation training (including new projects focused on underwater heritage crime investigations to target shipwreck looting and cross-border maritime crimes).
    Cameron began his career with Canada Border Services Agency in 2007 as Sr. Advisor on International Border management Relations for Europe, Africa and Middle East, focused on supply chain security, counter-terrorism, customs intelligence and trade facilitation. He also participated in numerous operations with World Customs Organization targeting heritage trafficking networks including Operations Odysseus and Colossus. Cameron transferred in 2017 to Department of Canadian Heritage as Deputy Director of International Partnerships, where he coordinated efforts to expand Canada’s global creative industries trade while also building international partnerships to combat trafficking of cultural property.

    Sessions

    • Modus Operandi (Drugs and contraband)

      In the spirit of interagency cooperation this workshop will facilitate the sharing of on the ground experience, real life case studies and share actionable intelligence on the movement of drugs, illicit goods, illegal waste, heritage goods, wildlife trafficking and modus operandi used to enable these trades.

    • Interagency Cooperation and Collaboration

      It is widely acknowledged that interagency cooperation is the key to the effective border management, facilitating the movement of goods and people whilst simultaneously preventing bad actors from travelling and interdicting the movement of illicit goods. But what can be in practical terms on the ground to increase communication, share actionable intelligence and best practise.