UNIDROIT CELEBRATES 25th ANNIVERSARY OF 1995 CONVENTION ON CULTURAL PROPERTY On 8-9 October 2020, UNIDROIT hosted a celebratory international conference to mark the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects. Following the words of welcome of President Maria Chiara Malaguti and General Riccardi of the Command of the Carabinieri Unit for the Protection of Cultural Heritage representing Minister Dario Franceschini (Italian Ministry of Culture), the opening session featured speeches from Unidroit’s many partners in the fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural property such as Webber Ndoro (Director General, ICCROM), H.E. Salim AlMalik (Director General, ICESCO), Ernesto Ottone Ramírez (Assistant Director-General for Culture, UNESCO), Corrado Catesi (Works of Art Unit Coordinator, INTERPOL), Alberto Garlandini (President ICOM). The rich programme of the conference featured a Keynote Speech on the Impact of Uniform Laws on the Protection of Cultural Property by Professor Toshiyuki Kono (Executive Vice President and Distinguished Professor, Kyushu University – President ICOMOS), and three sessions. This session gave an opportunity to discuss the proactive role of the civil society can and should play as well as the benefits for all of a enhanced and constructive collaboration with the art market. Joanna van der Lande (Antiquities Dealer’s Association) and Martin Wilson (Chief General Counsel at Phillips London) explained how the market evolved in the last 25 years and how important the means to enforce the law are. The Conference was closed by speeches from Ms Ingrida Veliute, Deputy Minister of Culture of Lithuania, the first State to have ratified the Convention, as well as from Mr Giorgio Marrapodi, Director General for Development Cooperation at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, stressing the importance of the 1995 Convention and the need for its universal ratification. Despite the pandemic, the hybrid format of the conference allowed the participation of about 300 participants from all over the World, and an array of prominent speakers and statements delivered by many States party and non-party to the Convention.
8-9 October 2020
The Conference was an event to take stock of the achievements of the Convention’s implementation thus far, raise awareness on the importance of uniform laws for the restitution and return of cultural property, reinforce synergies between the Convention and other international instruments, as well as to explore future steps in the projects aimed at promoting a favourable legal framework for the successful implementation of the Convention’s vocation, such as the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention Academic Project (UCAP).
Session I focussed on Cultural Objects – Protection and Circulation and was coordinated by Manlio Frigo (Full Professor of International Law, Milan Università degli Studi – Of Counsel BonelliErede), Session II on the Interplay and Interdependence of Rules and Cultural Instruments and moderated by Marina Schneider (Principal Legal Officer and Treaty Depositary, UNIDROIT), whereas Session III focussed on Challenges and Future Steps and was moderated by Ignacio Tirado (Secretary-General, UNIDROIT).
UNIDROIT JOINS THE ICRC, AFRICAN UNION AND IPSS WEBINAR ON THE IMPACT OF ARMED CONFLICTS ON CULTURAL PROPERTY
6 May 2021
On 6 May 2021, in response to the African Union’s declared theme of the year 2021 “Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for Building A Prosperous, Peaceful, Integrated and Resilient Africa”, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS), in collaboration with the African Union, organized a joint webinar on “The Impact of Armed Conflict on Cultural Property: Ensuring the Protection of our Shared Values and Heritage under International Law”.
The main objective of the event was to raise awareness and promote the protection of cultural property through international law instruments and mechanisms. Another aim was also to bring key stakeholders in Africa together and enhance their overall understanding of what protection of cultural property entails, especially under the 1954 Hague Convention and its two protocols in advancement of the overall objectives of the 2021 theme of the year. Finally, the webinar also served as a way to influence key African Union policies and Member States practices when it comes to protecting cultural property, at all times.
UNIDROIT JOINS AN ONLINE REGIONAL DIALOGUE TO CELEBRATE THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNESCO 1970 CONVENTION IN THE AFRICA REGION
26-27 April 2021
Prof. Ignacio Tirado, Secretary General, participated in the online regional dialogue on the fight against illicit trafficking on cultural property and the return and restitution of cultural property in the Africa region, organised within the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the 1970 UNESCO Convention. He gave a presentation on 25 years of protection of cultural property through the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects.
This online meeting provided an opportunity to address the current context and challenges in the fight against illicit trafficking and the return and restitution of cultural property in the Africa region. The conference offered the opportunity for UNESCO Member States, community members and a wide range of professionals to identify regional needs and priorities. It was also an important contribution to the African Union 2021 Year of ”Culture, Arts and Heritage, Levers for building the Africa we want”.
Prof. Tirado recalled that 11 African countries were Parties to the 1995 Convention (Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and Tunisia), and 3 countries had signed but not yet ratified (Senegal, Guinea, and Zambia). He reiterated UNIDROIT’s engagement together with its partners, in particular UNESCO, ECOWAS and the African Union with which UNIDROIT shares specific activities in Africa, in the fight against illicit trafficking.
Strengthening the legal framework and assistance in ratifying and implementing the international conventions being one of the main priorities which emerged from the conference, UNIDROIT will continue, together with UNESCO and its other partners, to support States by providing technical expertise, helping improve national legislation in view of ratifying the 1995 Convention and other relevant instruments, promoting cooperation between parties to the Convention and beyond, as well as training cultural professionals and lawyers.
The programme is available here.
UNIDROIT PARTICIPATES IN THE G20 CULTURE WEBINAR “PROTECTION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE AND ILLICIT TRAFFICKING. THE FUTURE WILL GIVE US BACK OUR PAST”
9 April 2021
As in 2017 for the G7 Culture, UNIDROIT was invited this year to attend the G20 Culture Ministerial meetings. Professor Maria Chiara Malaguti, President of UNIDROIT, partecipated in the panel discussion “’United Against Crime’, Intergovernmental, Judicial and Police Cooperation” of the G20 Culture online meeting which took place on 9 April 2021 to discuss “Private Law as the basis for effective action”. Dr. Jorge Sanchez Cordero Davila, member of the UNIDROIT Governing Council, also attended the meeting with a presentation in the session entitled “The protection to come. New technologies and new eyes”.
It was an opportunity to reflect on how international institutions – among which UNIDROIT – and different countries of the G20 addressed the several issues connected to cultural property protection and fighting the illicit traffic in cultural property.
One of the most important conclusions of the meeting was the need for a common legal framework within the G20 Members. For this reason, the moderator Tara Gutman, International Humanitarian Law Legal Adivser at Australian Red Cross, strongly recommended States to take action and to actively ratify the UNIDROIT Convention, in order to jointly fight the illicit trafficking of cultural heritage.
The Agenda of the event is available here.
Recording of the event can be found here.
UNIDROIT AND PARTNERS ORGANISE AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ORPHAN CULTURAL WORKS
4-5 February 2021
On the 4th and 5th of February, UNIDROIT in collaboration with the University of Geneva and the Fondation Gandur Pour l’Art organised an international conference on orphan cultural works. This conference offered an opportunity for collectors, gallery owners, lawyers, historians, archaeologists, academics and museums to come together and share their ideas and perspectives on the ever-growing debate surrounding orphan objects. The topic of orphan works is part of UNIDROIT’s commitment to its current focus on private collections, in the much broader context of Cultural Property as one of its main areas of interest.
Programme of the conference can be found here.
Recordings of the conference are available here.
THE NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD OF LATVIA CELEBRATES THE 25th ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1995 UNIDROIT CONVENTION ON CULTURAL PROPERTY
24-25 November 2020
On November 24th and 25th, 2020, the National Heritage Board of Latvia invited UNIDROIT to an international online Conference entitled “Opportunities and Challenges of Art and Antiques Market Management”. The event marked the 50th anniversary of the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Prohibition and Prevention of the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property and the 25th anniversary of the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen of Illegally Exported Cultural Objects.
The aim of the Conference was to promote understanding among private representatives of art and antiques trade about their role in the protection of cultural objects, as well as to promote cooperation between public administration and business in the field of cultural objects by strengthening and developing the management of art and antiques market.
Marina Schneider, Principal Legal Officer and Treaty Depositary at UNIDROIT, took part in the opening session where she underlined how Latvia, although not being an active art market, strengthened its legal framework to protect its heritage and fight against illicit traffic in cultural property at national level with amendments to its Criminal Code and by ratifying both the 1970 UNESCO and the 1995 UNIDROIT Conventions. Both Conventions were ratified in 2019 showing the complementarity between those two instruments and the role of international cooperation.
The first day was dedicated to the instruments and tools aiming at regulating the market and the second to the practice of dealing in the art and antique market with a presentation from the Secretary General of CINOA of how art dealer associations are important to promote heritage through responsible trade practices, followed by a representative of the local market who presented the market and its challenges. Then the State police explained how they work to combat offences relating to archaeological finds and the National Board of Latvia presented a study on the best practices of European countries in monitoring the trade in art and antiques.
The concluding session of the Conference permitted the public to ask questions on the presentations and on the general issue of the fight against illicit traffic in cultural property both internationally and nationally.
UNIDROIT PARTICIPATES IN THE CONFERENCE “CULTURAL HERITAGE AND MULTILATERALISM: REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIES FOR THE PROTECTION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE”
16-18 November 2020
UNIDROIT was invited to participate in the international online Conference “Cultural Heritage and Multilateralism: Regional and International Strategies for the Protection of Cultural Heritage” (16 to 18 November 2020) hosted by the German Federal Foreign Office in partnership with UNESCO, the European Union and the Council of Europe on the occasion of the Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the German Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and the 50th anniversary of the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.
The Conference brought together high-ranking representatives from international organisations and nongovernmental organisations with renowned experts. Panels addressed issues relating to combating illicit trafficking in cultural property, the protection of cultural heritage in crisis situations, sustainable heritage protection and the return of cultural property and provided an opportunity to discuss current challenges. Special attention was also paid to the contribution collaborative protection of cultural heritage can make to effective multilateralism.
Professor Maria Chiara Malaguti, President of UNIDROIT, participated on 17 November in the high-level roundtable celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1970 UNESCO Convention together with Ms Ghada Fathi Waly, Executive Director, UNODC; Kunio Mikuriya, Secretary General WCO and Alberto Garlandini, President ICOM. Professor Malaguti presented the role of UNIDROIT in the fight against the illicit trafficking and highlighted some recent major achievements. She also gave UNIDROIT’s vision for the major challenges that need to be addressed in the fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural goods and how.
On 18 November, Ms Marina Schneider, Principal Legal Officer and Treaty Depositary at UNIDROIT, was invited to the session entitled “Mechanisms to fight trafficking in cultural property” to expose why the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention is relevant in combatting illegal excavations, and how can national laws protect cultural property that has not been discovered yet (why is the principle of state ownership of the subsoil so important).
The Conference was recorded and can be watched at https://cultural-heritage-and-multilateralism2020.com/event
2020 TRANSATLANTIC CULTURAL PROPERTY CRIME SYMPOSIUM
13-14 July 2020
July 13 – 14, 2020 | The Octagon, Queen Mary University London
Click here for more information about the 2020 Transatlantic Cultural Property Crime Symposium.
50th ANNIVERSARY 1970 CONVENTION
26 June 2020
On 26 June 2020, in the framework of the 50th anniversary of the 1970 Convention, UNESCO has gathered together on-line experts to discuss illicit trafficking of cultural property during COVID-19, particularly illegal excavations and online trade. Faced with an unprecedented global health crisis worldwide, a vast majority of countries enforced quarantine and lockdown measures to combat COVID-19. The focus on sanitary measures and restriction of movement reduced the surveillance of cultural sites and museums, which lead to increased illegal excavations of archaeological sites and trafficking activities including online transactions.
2nd BRAZILIAN CONFERENCE ON LAW & ART
20-22 May 2020
Event: The Second Brazilian Conference on Law & Art
Location: João Pessoa, Brazil
In its second edition, the biennial (#2cbda) conference will gather the legal community that intervenes in the Brazilian art and cultural heritage sectors in order to debate with important international specialists.
The general theme of the 2020 edition will be “50th Anniversary of the 1970 UNESCO Convention and 25th Anniversary of the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention”.
This event will cover topics such as copyright; legal iconography; due diligence; concept of artist and artwork; protection of archaeological and underwater cultural heritages; museum law; cooperation, restitution and repatriation of cultural property; climate change, sea level rise and cultural heritage; international arbitration; police cooperation; the role of trusts and freeports in cultural heritage law; protection of the cultural heritage of indigenous peoples; digital art, its definition and preservation; restitution of holocaust-era assets; looted art in times of War; succession of states and cultural heritage; organised crime, terrorism and cultural heritage; anti-money laundering (AML) measures in the art market; circulation of cultural property; forgery, international tax & customs law; auction houses law; monuments and memorials as reparations of human rights violations and monument-toppling.
For further information please contact the event organizers by email at:
Email: mfilho@tce.pb.gov.br
MACCH ANNUAL CONFERENCE: TRUST AND TRANSPARENCY IN THE ART AND HERITAGE WORLD AND ITS PRACTICES
15-17 March 2020, Postponed
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the 1970 UNESCO “Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property”, as well as the 25th anniversary of the 1995 UNIDROIT “Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects”. In celebration of these anniversaries, the Maastricht Centre for Arts and Culture, Conservation and Heritage (MACCH) hosts its annual, transdisciplinary conference in collaboration with the Netherlands UNESCO Commission – parallel to and in direct vicinity to The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF).
Arts and heritage practices thrive on trust. Yet, trust in the arts and heritage world appears to be waning due to a lack of transparency. Recent accusations concern the illicit excavation and trafficking of antiquities, as well as assumed linkages between the art market and money laundering, or even the financing of terrorist activities. Scandals have also involved the sale of various fakes and forgeries in much respected galleries, supported by authenticity declarations of notable experts.
Programme
UNIDROIT ASSISTS CARIBBEAN STATES TO STRENGTHEN NATIONAL LEGISLATION TO FIGHT ILLICIT TRAFFICKING IN CULTURAL PROPERTY
2-5 March 2020
See more here
- (Standing) Mr. Everton Hannam, Secretary General, Jamaica National Commission for UNESCO
- Mr. Denzil Thorpe, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport;
- Hon. Olivia Grange, Minister of Culture Gender, Entertainment and Sport;
- Daoud Bouledroua, UNESCO, Secretariat 1970 Convention
- Giuditta Giardini, expert representing UNIDROIT
COLLOQUE “20 ANS DE DROIT DU PATRIMOINE CULTUREL”
27-28 February 2020
Colloque organisé à l’occasion du vingtième anniversaire du Master Droit du patrimoine culturel.
Sous le patronage de la Commission nationale française pour l’UNESCO
Programme
SEMINARIO INTERNACIONAL, DEFENSA E INVESTIGACIÓN DE LA HISTORIA SUMERGIDA DE ESPAÑA
10 February 2020
Defensa e investigación de la historia sumergida de España: La fragata Nuestra Señora De Las Mercedes y la protección del patrimonio cultural subacuático
Date: 10 February 2020
Location: EEHAR, via di S. Eufemia 13, 00187 Rome, Italy (Sala delle Conferenze)
Last June 2019 UNESCO recognized the fight of Spain for the protection of its underwater cultural heritage by inscribing in its list of “Best Practices of Underwater Cultural Heritage” the case and project of the shipwreck of the Frigate Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes.
“La Mercedes” was sunk on October 4, 1804 when it was hit by a cannonball. The remains of the ship along with all its cargo were dispersed due to the explosion and are submerged, and buried under the sediments, at a depth of 1,138 meters 34 miles south of the coast of Portugal, which represents a technical challenge at the time of its study and recovery.
The site was the victim of an unprecedented looting by a treasure hunting company that found and exploited it in 2007, extracting up to 14 tons of archaeological material, including 590,000 coins which, together with other objects, were taken to the United States. The Government of Spain then began a legal battle for the recovery of cultural property looted from the wreck.
After the definitive victory in this litigation in 2012 and the immediate restitution of the stolen material, Spain not only initiated a process of study and conservation of the material, presenting the case to the public in a series of traveling exhibitions, but also undertook an ambitious scientific research project in the archaeological site.
The seminar will present the history of this process, the effective institutional cooperation and the contribution of the scientific research to the final result. It will also present underwater archaeology work, conservation and enhancement that were subsequently coordinated by the Ministry of Culture and the Spanish National Museum of Underwater Archaeology (ARQVA), with the support of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).
UNIDROIT WELCOMES THE MINISTER OF CULTURE OF BULGARIA
19 July 2019
On 19 July 2019, Mr Boil Banov, Minister of Culture of Bulgaria, visited UNIDROIT together with a delegation.
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Mr Boil Banov, Minister of Culture of Bulgaria, visited UNIDROIT on 19 July 2019 to strengthen cooperation between his Ministry and the Institute and to confirm the decision of Bulgaria to accede to the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects which has become a priority for his country. He was welcomed at the UNIDROIT Headquarters by the Secretary General of UNIDROIT, Prof. Ignacio Tirado, and the Deputy Secretary General, Prof. Anna Veneziano.
The meeting was followed by a technical meeting between Ms Marina Schneider, Senior Legal Officer and Treaty Depositary at UNIDROIT, and Mr Peter Miladinov, Director, Directorate “International cooperation, European programs and regional activities”, Ministry of Culture, and Ms Mariya Todorova-Simova, Chief Inspector, DG “Inspectorate for Protection of Cultural Heritage”, Ministry of Culture.
UNIDROIT CO-ORGANISES THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES ON CULTURAL HERITAGE PROTECTION (GDANSK, POLAND)
6-7 June 2019
On 6 and 7 June 2019, UNIDROIT co-organised with the University of Gdańsk and the University of Opole two international conferences in Gdansk (Poland) to promote the accession of Poland to the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects and to discuss private art collections.
On 6 and 7 June 2019, Ms Marina Schneider, Senior Legal Officer and Treaty Depositary, UNIDROIT, participated as a lecturer in the International Conferences on Cultural Heritage Protection, held at the Law and Administration Faculty of the University of Gdańsk, Poland. The conferences focussed on Ratification and Implementation of the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention in Poland and Private Collections: Historical and Legal Procedure. These two international scientific events were organised in close cooperation between UNIDROIT, the University of Gdańsk and the University of Opole (UNESCO Chair on Cultural Property Law) under the auspices of the 1995 UNIDROIT Academic Project (UCAP). The goal of the conferences was to provide a platform for discussions and networking among different stakeholders on the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention and legal issues arising in private art collections.
Most eminent experts of the sector from all the world participated in the Conferences – Programme
WORKSHOP TO STRENGTHEN CAPACITIES FOR THE FIGHT AGAINST ILLICIT TRAFFICKING OF CULTURAL PROPERTY
4-6 July 2018
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From 4 to 6 July 2018, UNIDROIT participated in a three-day national workshop to strengthen capacities for the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural property organised by UNESCO and the Ethiopian Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The workshop also focused on policy, customs and cultural heritage protection services and included presentations on practical tools and resources such as the International Council of Museums’ (ICOM) Red Lists and Code of Ethics, the UNIDROIT new cultural property page, the UNESCO Database of National Cultural Heritage Laws as well as model legislations and export certificates.
More Information
GENEVA SUMMER SCHOOL
20 June 2018
On 20 June 2018, Ms Marina Schneider, UNIDROIT Senior Legal Officer, gave a lecture to the students of the Geneva Summer School of International Cultural Heritage Law – University of Geneva about the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects. Click here for more info.
EUROPEAN YEAR OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
4-5 June 2018
On 4 and 5 June 2018, UNIDROIT attended the Fifth Meeting of the Stakeholders’ Committee of the European Year of Cultural Heritage, organised by the European Commission and held in Brussels. On that occasion, the Commission interviewed the stakeholders for contributions to the New European Agenda for Culture.
EU WORKSHOP ON PROTECTING IRAQI CULTURAL HERITAGE AND FIGHTING TERRORISM
30 May 2018
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On 30 May 2018, Ms Marina Schneider, UNIDROIT Senior Legal Officer and Treaty Depositary, participated in the Workshop on Protecting Iraqi Cultural Heritage and Fighting Terrorism organised by the Technical Assistance and Information Exchange Instrument of the EU Commission.
CONFERENCE ON THE ILLEGAL TRAFFICKING OF CULTURAL GOODS
23 May 2018
On 23 May 2018, Ms Marina Schneider, UNIDROIT Senior Legal Officer and Treaty Depositary, was invited by Ms Sabine Verheyen and Mr Arndt Kohn, currently serving as Members of the European Parliament, to a Conference on the illegal trafficking of cultural goods, held at the European Parliament (Brussels). Mr Pierre Moscovici, European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, representatives of UNESCO, WCO and the art market also attended the debate.
On that occasion, the new proposal for Regulation on the import of cultural goods in the European Union was also discussed.
PRESERVING CULTURAL HERITAGE FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY
10-11 May 2018
On 10-11 May 2018, UNIDROIT participated in a two-day workshop for militaries on “Preserving Cultural Heritage for International Peace and Security” held in Rome (Italy) and organised by the Italian Center for Higher Defence Studies, the country’s highest-ranking study institution in the field of managerial training, and security and defense studies.
From left to right: Professor Samuel Hardy from the American University of Rome; Professor Manlio Frigo from the University of Milan; UNIDROIT Senior Legal Officer and Treaty Depositary, Ms Marina Schneider and Professor Deborah Scolart from Tor Vergata University of Rome.
CALL FOR CASE COMMENTS RELATING TO THE 1995 UNIDROIT CONVENTION ON STOLEN OR ILLEGALLY EXPORTED CULTURAL OBJECTS
TRAINING PROGRAM FOR SPECIALIST WORKING TO DETER CULTURAL PROPERTY THEFT AND THE ILLICIT TRAFFICKING OF ANTIQUITIES
16-20 April 2018
Beirut, Lebanon: on 16-20 April 2018, UNIDROIT is participating in the “Training Program for Specialist Working to Deter Cultural Property Theft and the Illicit Trafficking of Antiquities” organised by UNESCO and funded by UNESCO’s Heritage Emergency Fund.
The Training Program aims to counter antiquities trafficking in the Levant by providing a distilled version of signature professional skills programme for governmental and academic heritage decision makers who work in destabilized source countries where illicit antiquities originate.
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| From left to right: ARCA Chief Executive Officer, Ms Lynda Albertson, UNESCO Beirut’s Programme Officer for Culture, Mr Joseph Kreidi, and UNESCO consultant, Prof. Samer Abdel Ghafour |
INTERNATIONAL TRAINING SEMINAR ON REDUCTION OF SHADOW ECONOMY RELATED TO ILLEGAL TURNOVER OF CULTURAL OBJECTS
23-24 January 2018
On 23 and 24 January 2018, UNIDROIT participated in the International Training Seminar on Reduction of Shadow Economy Related to Illegal Turnover of Cultural Objects, organised by the Latvian School of Public Administration, in cooperation with the Italian Carabinieri TPC, INTERPOL, UNESCO, UNODC, UNIDROIT and other institution, in Riga, Latvia.
WORKSHOP ON COUNTERING ILLICIT TRAFFICKING OF CULTURAL PROPERTY
17-20 December 2017
On 17-20 December 2017, Ms Marina Schneider, UNIDROIT Senior Legal Officer, actively participated in the workshop “Countering illicit trafficking of cultural property” jointly organised by UNESCO and the Italian Carabinieri in Amman, Jordan. On that occasion, Ms Schneider discussed the accession procedure to the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects and main concerns from the Arab States concerning the accession.
UNESCO WORKSHOP ON THE FIGHT AGAINST ILLICIT TRAFFIC OF CULTURAL PROPERTY
10-14 December 2017
Ms Marina Schneider, UNIDROIT Senior Legal Officer, took part in the UNESCO Workshopon the Fight against Illicit Traffic of Cultural Property (Convention of 1970), held at Cairo from 10 to 14 December 2017, for Egypt and Sudan. In her address, Ms Schneider considered the benefits for the Arab Region resulting from the ratification of the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects.
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STRENGTHENING SYNERGIES FOR THE PROTECTION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE IN EASTERN AFRICA AND THE ADJACENT INDIAN OCEAN ISLAND STATES
18-20 July 2017
On 20 July 2017 in Balaclava, Republic of Mauritius, Ministers responsible for culture in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Somalia and South Sudan issued a Joint Statement on Strengthening Synergies for the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Eastern Africa and the adjacent Indian Ocean Island States. The Statement is built on 10 recommendations from a Regional Conference and Ministerial Roundtable on the protection of Cultural Heritage, organised by the UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa, on 18-19 July 2017.
Experts from UNIDROIT, the International Committee of the Red Cross, INTERPOL, the International Council of Museums, the International Council on Monuments and Sites, the African World Heritage Fund, the Centre for Heritage Development in Africa were among the UNESCO partner organizations participating in the conference and sharing their expertise and resources. More information
GENEVA SUMMER SCHOOL
14 June 2017
On 14 June 2017, Ms Marina Schneider, UNIDROIT Senior Legal Officer, gave a lecture to the students of the Geneva Summer School of International Cultural Heritage Law – University of Geneva on the weaknesses of the 1970 UNESCO Convention, the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention and UNESCO-UNIDROIT Model Provisions on State Ownership of Undiscovered Cultural Objects. Click here for more info.
4th MEETING OF STATES PARTIES TO THE 1970 CONVENTION AND 5th SESSION OF THE SUBSIDIARY COMMITTEE
15-19 May 2017
On 15-19 May 2017, UNIDROIT Senior Legal Officer and Treaty Depositary Ms Marina Schneider participated in the Fourth Meeting of States Parties to the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property and in the Fifth Session of the Subsidiary Committee of the Meeting of States Parties to the 1970 Convention at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. Click here for more information about the 4th Meeting of States Parties to the 1970 Convention.
UNESCO WORKSHOP ON THE ETHICS OF COLLECTIONS AND FIGHT AGAINST ILLICIT TRAFFIC OF CULTURAL HERITAGE IN THE GCC
2-4 April 2017
Ms Marina Schneider, UNIDROIT Senior Legal Officer and Treaty Depositary, took part to a three-day workshop on the ethics of collections and fight against illicit traffic of cultural heritage in the GCC, organised by UNESCO and the Tourism and Culture Authority of the UAE, in Abu Dhabi (UAE) from 2 to 4 April 2017.
The workshop is part of UNESCO’s capacity building initiatives and it is the first workshop of its kind in the region bringing together representatives of culture authorities from the GCC, public and private museums, collectors and auction houses as well as experts from institutions such as UNESCO, INTERPOL, WCO-OMD, ICOM, UNODC.
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| Shot of the participants to the Workshop. | Group Photo of Workshop participants. |
THE FIRST G7 CULTURE MEETING
30-31 March 2017
On 30-31 March 2017, UNIDROIT was invited to take part to the first G7 Culture meeting in the history of G7, hosted by Italy in Florence.
The Ministerial meeting attended by Prof. Anna Veneziano, Deputy Secretary general of UNIDROIT, was preceded by a technical meeting on challenges and opportunities of the existing legal framework, best strategies and preventive measures for safeguarding cultural property from illicit trafficking, and awareness-raising and education’s improvement to which UNIDROIT contributed.
The Declaration signed by the seven Ministers of Culture urges States to strengthen safeguarding and preservation of cultural heritage, to identify and share appropriate best practices for fighting every form of illegal activity in this field, as well as to ratify the existing relevant Conventions against trafficking in cultural property such as the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects.
Joint Declaration of the Ministers of Culture of G7.
INTERPOL FORUM: “UNITY FOR SECURITY”
28-30 March 2017
Between 28 and 30 March 2017, Ms Marina Schneider, UNIDROIT Senior Legal Officer and Treaty Depositary, participated in the work of INTERPOL’s forum “Unity For Security”, held in Abu Dhabi and organised in partnership with the United Arab Emirates and the INTERPOL Foundation for a Safer World, under the patronage of his Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates.
The forum brought together Ministers with responsibility for security portfolios, senior police officials, representatives from the private sector as well as experts to collectively address common issues and to identify their responsibility in implementing a global policing architecture to combat future threats.
PRIVATE COLLECTIONS: HISTORICAL AND LEGAL PERSPECTIVES
16-17 March 2017
On 16-17 March 2017, UNIDROIT hosted a two-day conference on: “Private Collections: Historical and Legal Perspectives” in collaboration with the International Society for Research and Cultural Heritage (ISCHAL), Institut des sciences sociales du politique (ISP), BonelliErede law firm, Institut – Droit Ethique – Patrimoine (IDEP), Institut d’études de droit public (IEDP), Università degli Studi di Milano and Université des Etudes de Genève. Programme
SPECIAL EVENT ON “PROMOTING AND STRENGTHENING THE INTERNATIONAL LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE PROTECTION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE”
28 February 2017
The special event on “Promoting and strengthening the international legal framework for the protection of cultural heritage” took place on Tuesday, 28 February 2017, at the UN HQ, co-organized by the Missions of Cyprus and Italy to the UN and by UNIDROIT.
During the event, UNIDROIT and the Missions of Cyprus and Italy to the UN announced the establishment of an informal Task Force, open to all States wishing to participate, aimed at the promotion of the wider ratification of the 1995 UNDIROIT Convention. The Task Force will be coordinated by UNIDROIT, assisted by the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention Academic Project which will be launched soon, and will convene on an annual basis in New York, in order to provide a platform for the exchange of views on issues such as the state of ratifications of the UNIDROIT 1995 Convention, for the promotion of activities aimed at awareness, information and best practices sharing, and for training and education to assist on the accession, ratification and implementation of the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention
• Summary • Save the date • Concept note • Programme
MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE ON OFFENCES RELATING TO CULTURAL PROPERTY
20-24 February 2017
On 20-24 February 2017, the Council of Europe hosts the 4th and conclusive Plenary Meeting for the drafting of the new criminal law Convention aimed at combating the illicit trafficking of cultural property.
Ms Marina Schneider, UNIDROIT Senior Legal Officer, contributed to the work of the Committee on Offences relating to Cultural Property (PC-IBC).
COUNCIL OF EUROPE COLLOQUY ON PROTECTING CULTURAL HERITAGE FROM DESTRUCTION AND TRAFFICKING
13 January 2017
On 13 January 2017, high-level representatives from international organisations and national governments, as well as academic experts, will gather in Strasbourg for a colloquium aimed at strengthening cooperation to protect cultural heritage from wanton destruction and preventing the illicit trafficking of cultural goods.
Organised jointly by the Cypriot chairmanship of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers and its Secretary General, Thorbjørn Jagland, the event will focus on the illicit excavation, sale and acquisition of cultural property, which has become a lucrative trade often linked to cross-border organised crime and terrorism.
Keynote speakers include Ioannis Kasoulides, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus, Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO and Mammoun Abdulkarim, the Director-General of the Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums in Syria and Fatou Bensouda, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. Also addressing the event are Hans-Holger Herrnfeld, Chair of the Committee on Offences relating to Cultural Heritage, and Anna Veneziano, the Deputy Secretary-General of UNIDROIT.
The Council of Europe is currently preparing a new Convention on Offences related to Cultural Property, which will become the only international treaty focusing on criminal measures and sanctions on illicit activities in the field of cultural heritage.
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON “THE 1995 UNIDROIT CONVENTION ON STOLEN OR ILLEGALLY EXPORTED CULTURAL OBJECTS: 20 YEARS LATER”
8 May 2015
2021
4-5 February, UNIDROIT and Partners Organise an International Conference on “Orphan Cultural Works”
2020
10 February, Seminario internacional, Defensa e investigación de la historia sumergida de España
27-28 February, Colloque 20 ans de droit du patrimoine culturel
2-5 March, Workshop in Kingston, Jamaica
26 June, 50th Anniversary 1970 Convention
13-14 July, 2020 Transatlantic Cultural Property Crime Symposium
8-9 October, UNIDROIT celebrates 25th Anniversary of 1995 Convention on Cultural Property
2019
6-7 June, Conferences on Cultural Heritage Protection (Gdańsk, Poland)
2018
23 May, Conference on the Illegal Trafficking of Cultural Goods
2017
28 February, Special Event, New York
16-17 March, Private Collections: Historical and Legal Perspectives
28-30 March, Interpol Forum: “unity for security”
30-31 March, The First G7 Culture Meeting
2015