October 2021 - Antiquities Coalition

United States and Bahrain Commit to Strengthen Bilateral Ties to Fight Against the Illicit Trade in Cultural Property

Posted on October 28, 2021 by Helena Arose

Announce Statement of Cooperation at Public Convening of International Experts

The Antiquities Coalition, in close collaboration with the U.S. Department of State and the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, was honored to host a virtual public event focused on strengthening international cooperation in the fight against the looting and trafficking of cultural property.

Moderated by Smithsonian Distinguished Scholar and Ambassador-at-Large Dr. Richard Kurin of the Smithsonian Institution, the convening facilitated dialogue on critical topics, including emerging obstacles to combating the illicit art and antiquities trade as they are experienced by customs officials, museum institutions, and the private sector.

This event was one part of a wider online forum to promote mutual understanding between the United States, still the heart of the global art and antiquities world, and Bahrain, which is quickly becoming one of its more important players. To this end, Bahraini and US representatives celebrated recent success in fighting cultural racketeering.

President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA), Her Excellency Shaikha Mai AlKhalifa, celebrated recent educational initiatives pursued by BACA as well as new collaborative projects between BACA and UNESCO, including awareness campaigns and the establishment of more UNESCO World Heritage sites in Bahrain. Bureau of Educational And Cultural Affairs Acting Assistant Secretary Matthew Lussenhop discussed how seizures and repatriation of illicit antiquities are key to raising awareness of art crime. Dr. Mounir Bouchenaki, Special Advisor to BACA and UNESCO, reviewed the relevant obstacles facing museum institutions and the private sector, highlighting how international cooperation is needed.

Mr. Lussenhop declared, “The United States cannot do this alone…We feel that our efforts are multiplied when we can work in close partnerships with other interested states like Bahrain.”

In a triumphant conclusion to the event, Chargé d’Affaires to the Kingdom of Bahrain Maggie Nardi announced The 2021 Manama Statement of Cooperation between the US and Bahrain to combat criminal misuse of the art and antiquities market.

Making up 42% of the global art market, the United States is in a unique position to make a difference. Moreover, with its close global ties and effective regional diplomacy, the Kingdom of Bahrain is well positioned to become a leader in the global fight against the illicit trafficking of art and artifacts. In collaboration with countries like Bahrain, United States and international leaders in protecting cultural heritage concluded that— when we work together— meaningful change is possible.

The Antiquities Coalition commends the United States government and the Kingdom of Bahrain for their distinguished leadership in safeguarding our shared cultural heritage. We thank Dr. Kurin for moderating the discussion, and our distinguished panelists Her Excellency Shaikha Mai AlKhalifa, Acting Assistant Secretary Matthew Lussenhop, and Dr. Mounir Bouchenaki for their participation in the session.

Recommendations Urge G20 to Strengthen Global Policy on Illicit Antiquities Trade

Posted on October 28, 2021May 24, 2022 by Nora Malatinszky

Report Details 9 Concrete Steps to Protect Cultural Heritage and the Legitimate Art Market from Criminal Misuse

Rome, Italy, 28 October 2021: Today, an international coalition of experts released Safeguarding Cultural Heritage in Conflict Zones: A Roadmap for the G20 to Combat the Illicit Trade in Cultural Objects. This evidenced-based report puts forward nine specific recommendations to strengthen global policy against the looting and trafficking of cultural objects, a transnational crime closely linked to war and terrorism. Its publication comes as the G20 begins its annual Summit in Rome, where for the first time, heads of state and government will gather to close loopholes in the $50 billion international art market—still the largest unregulated market in the world.

Today’s report seeks to support the G20 in this important work. It highlights risks posed by the illicit trade through a case study illustrating how armed groups plundered ancient sites in Syria and then laundered cultural objects into unsuspecting global marketplaces. More importantly, based on lessons learned from Syria’s tragedy and others, it calls for new policies, priorities, and practices to be considered by the G20, its Member States, and the private sector as they work together to support the communities victimized by this transnational crime. The report was developed by leading experts and is being published online by the Antiquities Coalition, a not-for-profit organization and non-partisan think tank, in collaboration with Heritage for Peace.

Under the Italian Presidency, the G20 has prioritized making culture part of the post-COVID recovery, as well as incorporating it into the institution’s broader work to secure economic integrity and transparent markets. Protecting history and heritage from the illicit trade, as well as other major threats such as climate change, is an identified pillar of this broader mission. To that end, on 29-30 July in Rome, Italian Minister of Culture Dario Franceschini brought together the G20 Member States for a cultural ministerial meeting, part of a series of high-level events on the illicit trade that led up to this week’s G20 Summit, which is also being held in the Eternal City.

“We commend the Italian Republic and the G20 for making this issue part of its agenda,” said Deborah Lehr, Chairman and Founder of the Antiquities Coalition. “Such leadership is needed to ensure that grave robbers, tomb raiders, and art smugglers do not succeed in a post-COVID world—especially at a time when so many legitimate collectors, dealers, and museums are now facing underserved financial hardship.”

While looting is a problem as old as the pyramids, the pandemic has given the G20’s focus added urgency. COVID-19 has cost the art world billions in losses, but at the same time, auctions have continued to set record prices. Moreover, some high-risk areas of the market, like loaning money against art or antiquities as collateral, are skyrocketing even as others shut down. And, although lockdowns have shuttered above board dealers, galleries, and auction houses, the international black market has stayed wide open for business, with archaeological watchdogs warning that online sales are skyrocketing.

Safeguarding Cultural Heritage in Conflict Zones: A Roadmap for the G20 to Combat the Illicit Trade builds on the Antiquities Coalition’s 2016 and 2020 independent task force reports and research by our partners commissioned by the U.S. Department of State and European Commission. It also seeks to reinforce the important work already done by intergovernmental organizations, national governments, the private sector, and academia. The full report is available on the Antiquities Coalition’s website at theantiquitiescoalition.org.

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About the Antiquities Coalition

To protect our shared heritage and global security, the Antiquities Coalition is leading the international campaign against cultural racketeering, the illicit trade in ancient art and artifacts. We champion better law and policy, foster diplomatic cooperation, and advance proven solutions with public and private partners worldwide. We are working toward a future when the past is preserved for the next generation, not looted, smuggled, and sold to finance crime, conflict, and terror.

theantiquitiescoalition.org

About Heritage for Peace

Heritage for Peace (Syria) is an NGO whose mission is to support heritage workers as they protect their collections, monuments and sites during armed conflict. As an international group of heritage workers we believe that cultural heritage, and the protection thereof, can be used as a common ground for dialogue and therefore as a tool to enhance peace. Currently our efforts are focused on Syria, where the ongoing conflict has damaged World Heritage sites, threatened museums, bombed libraries, and led to an epidemic of looting of cultural artefacts. Heritage for Peace is impartial in the conflict; our programs are focused on training heritage professionals and other interested parties to deal with the unique challenges of protecting cultural collections, monuments and sites during armed conflict.

heritageforpeace.org

The Pandora Papers: AC Featured in the Washington Post

Posted on October 25, 2021December 13, 2021 by Nora Malatinszky

The Washington Post explores the impact of the Pandora Papers after their release, thanks to their collaboration with a team of investigative journalists.

Following the release of the Pandora Papers, the Washington Post reached out to Tess Davis, Executive Director of the Antiquities Coalition, for her expert opinion. An article highlights a study of nearly 30 years of auctions at Sotheby’s published by Davis found that 70% of the relics sold had no listed ownership history. These numbers display the indifference and even ignorance museums and art buyers often hold towards evidence of artifact theft.

Highlighting the fact that many museums have been complicit in supporting looting and trafficking, the investigative journalists have brought to light the problem of cultural racketeering around the world. One of the notorious art dealers who played a large role in the illicit trade was the late Douglas Latchford, an antiquities dealer known for funding the looting and trafficking of Cambodian relics.

“Accusations against Latchford … have been a matter of legal record for nearly 10 years now,” said Tess Davis, a lawyer, archaeologist and the executive director of the Antiquities Coalition, an organization that campaigns against the trafficking of cultural artifacts. “Museum leaders have had more than enough time to do the right thing. Instead, there is deafening silence.”

Though Latchford alleged countless times that his actions were in the name of reverence for Khmer, he supported and profited from decades of ransacking of Cambodian heritage sites. The looting and trafficking of these ancient relics has been found to be one of the “most devastating cultural thefts of the 20th century,” according to the Washington Post. However, museums have yet to take serious action to take accountability for purchasing from and, effectively, funding the actions of cultural racketeers.

“The Met owed it to Cambodia — and itself — to do a full and public accounting of its Khmer collection then. That didn’t happen,” Davis said. ”There has still been no full and public accounting from the Met. It’s never too late to do the right thing, but what is the Met waiting for at this point?”

Explaining the Expose: The AC Interviews Angela Chiu on the Pandora Papers

Posted on October 22, 2021November 3, 2021 by Nora Malatinszky

On October 3, 2021, The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) published a groundbreaking investigation of millions of leaked documents that revealed stunning financial secrets and offshore dealings of world leaders, politicians, and billionaires from around the globe, better known as the Pandora Papers.

One of the actors targeted in the expose is Douglas Latchford, the notorious antiquities trafficker indicted in 2019 for dealing in stolen art and artifacts. This investigation uncovers how Latchford and his family set up trusts in tax havens shortly after he was linked to looted antiquities, and used trusts and offshore accounts to store antiquities.

The expose is a must-read, deeply reported investigation that destroys so much of the false narrative that glorifies Douglas Latchford and the antiquities trade. The loopholes exposed threaten not just nations such as Cambodia, or even our world heritage, but the responsible market and the global financial system.

To begin to break down this astounding case, we spoke with Angela Chiu, an independent scholar with a PhD in Southeast Asian art history who has conducted extensive research on the Asian antiquities trade.

Think Tank Makes Recommendations for British Government to Close a Gateway for Illicit Cultural Property

Posted on October 21, 2021May 24, 2022 by Nora Malatinszky

New Antiquities Coalition Policy Brief Analyzes the UK’s decision to Repeal the EU Import Regulation in Great Britain and prevent the resulting risk of Northern Ireland becoming a gateway to Europe for illicit cultural property

The Antiquities Coalition today released a Policy Brief that examines the UK’s recent decision to repeal the EU Regulation on the Introduction and the Import of Cultural Goods (EU 2019/880) in Great Britain. Author Fionnuala Rogers argues that the repeal creates a gateway to Europe for illicit cultural property through Northern Ireland, where the regulation still applies, and that the UK must take immediate steps to mitigate that risk.

“The objectives of the Regulation are both urgent and necessary, namely to safeguard humanity’s cultural heritage and prevent the illicit trade in cultural goods, particularly where such illicit trade could contribute to terrorist financing.” Rogers adds, “The objective of the UK should be to strike a balance between prevention of illicit trafficking and maintaining a legitimate art market, while trying to streamline requirements, procedures and practices across the UK as much as possible when it comes to import.”

This paper makes a series of recommendations to encourage the UK to rationalize its regulatory approach, meet its international commitments, and to set a leading example for other art market countries in cultural heritage protection.

Fionnuala Rogers is a leader in the field of cultural property. Rogers is an art and cultural property lawyer, and founder and director of the specialist art and heritage law firm, Canvas Art Law Ltd. She is Chair of the United Kingdom Committee of the Blue Shield and member of the Blue Shield International Illicit Trafficking working group.

For a summary and link to the policy brief, visit: https://thinktank.theantiquitiescoalition.org/following-the-uks-repeal-of-the-eu-import-regulation-in-great-britain-will-northern-ireland-become-a-gateway-to-europe-for-illicit-cultural-property-recommendations-for-the-uk-to-mitigate/

The United States and Bahrain: Strengthening Bilateral Ties to Fight Against the Illicit Trade in Cultural Property

Posted on October 20, 2021October 20, 2021 by Nora Malatinszky

The United States and Bahrain: Strengthening Bilateral Ties to Fight Against the Illicit Trade in Cultural Property

Join Us Live for a Stimulating Discussion with Leaders in Culture and Government

On October 28, join the Antiquities Coalition, in collaboration with the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities and the U.S. Department of State, for a live webinar on the critical role of culture in global security, national economies, and foreign diplomacy. Internationally recognized leaders in government and the arts, from both the United States and Bahrain, will discuss challenges to combating cultural property crimes, as well as shared principles that support responsible cultural exchange.

This webinar will take place on Zoom with simultaneous interpretation into English and Arabic. Distinguished speakers include:

HE Shaikha Mai AlKhalifa, President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA), Kingdom of Bahrain
Dr. Mounir Bouchenaki, Special Advisor to the Director-General of ICCROM and Special Advisor to the Director-General of UNESCO
Dr. Richard Kurin, Smithsonian Distinguished Scholar and Ambassador-at-Large, Smithsonian Institution
Matthew Lussenhop, Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau Of Educational And Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State

More About the Discussion

Both the U.S. and Bahraini governments have warned that the illicit trade in art and artifacts is a threat to international peace and security due to its financing of organized crime, armed conflict, and violent extremism. The Middle East and North Africa, with its rich and diverse history, has much to lose from this cultural racketeering. Daesh has made frontpage headlines for its pillage of the Cradle of Civilization, but experts continue to warn that antiquities looting and trafficking is funding Daesh in Libya, Al Qaeda and the Houthi militias in Yemen, and, farther afield, the Taliban in Afghanistan. Moreover, this terrorist financing often goes hand-in-hand with money laundering and other financial crimes, to which the art market is also particularly vulnerable, as well as targeted cultural destruction.

The United States is in a unique position to make a difference, as it remains the world’s largest art market, making up 42% of the global total. However, with the creation of new and prominent museums, a booming art market, and a strong push for cultural tourism, the Gulf States are quickly becoming key players. In particular, with strong ministerial leadership from the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, Bahrain has achieved significant strides in heritage conservation and serves as the headquarters for the Arab regional Centre for World Heritage which provides support to 19 Arab countries towards the promotion and management of cultural and natural sites. With its close global ties and effective regional diplomacy, the Kingdom is well positioned to become a leader in the global fight against the illicit trafficking of art and artifacts.

More About Our Esteemed Panelists

HE Shaikha Mai AlKhalifa, President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA), Kingdom of Bahrain

A leading figure in the Arab World for her work in the field of culture, HE Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa has spearheaded national efforts to develop the cultural infrastructure in the Kingdom of Bahrain for heritage conservation and the growth of sustainable tourism. The President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, HE Shaikha Mai is the foremost public expert in the field, holding the unique portfolios of the Ministry for Culture & Information and then the Ministry for Culture. As the founder of the Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Center for Culture and Research and Chair of its Board of Trustees since 2002, she works actively to foster culture and preserve the traditional architecture of Bahrain. It was to this end that she launched the nation-wide ‘Investing in Culture’ initiative, building an unprecedented partnership between the private and public sectors for heritage preservation. Her vision and leadership have resulted in a worldwide recognition of the Kingdom’s historic and cultural significance and the listing of three Bahrain sites on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

HE Shaikha Mai holds an MA in Political History and is the author of seven books. She is recipient of many distinguished awards including; ‘Légion d’Honneur’ (2008) and ‘Knight of Légion d’Honneur’ from the French Government (2011), ‘Noble Honour’ for being a distinguished international personality in the field of Ideology and Culture by a royal decree from His Majesty Muhammad Al-Sadis, King of Morocco (2010), ‘Colbert Prize for Creativity and Heritage’ (2010), and ‘Watch Award’ by the World Monuments Fund (2015). She has also been nominated ‘Special Ambassador of the International Year of Sustainability for Development 2017’ (2017-2019) by the World Tourism Organization and ‘Arab Heritage Personality of 2019’ by the Arab Tourism Media Centre in 2019. She currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the World Monument Fund.

Dr. Mounir Bouchenaki, Special Advisor to the Director-General of ICCROM and Special Advisor to the Director-General of UNESCO

Dr. Mounir Bouchenaki has had a 25-year career in UNESCO as Assistant Director-General for Culture; Director of the Division of Cultural Heritage; and Director of the World Heritage Centre. He was Director-General of ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property) from 2005 until 2011. He is also a past-Director of the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage. Currently, Mounir Bouchenaki is acting as Special Advisor to the Director-General of ICCROM and Special Advisor to the Director-General of UNESCO. He contributed between 2013 and 2017 to the launching of a UNESCO category II Centre, ‘The Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage based in Bahrain’.

Matthew Lussenhop, Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau Of Educational And Cultural Affairs

Matthew Lussenhop joined the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (PDAS) in July 2019. He is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, and has served his country as a Foreign Service Officer since 1990. Prior to his arrival at ECA, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) at the Embassy of the United States to the Kingdom of Belgium, August 2016-June 2019, including 18 months as Chargé d’affaires. From 2013-2016, he was the DCM at the U.S. Embassy to the Kingdom of Morocco, including ten months as the Chargé d’affaires. Mr. Lussenhop previously served in ECA as a Senior Advisor for Policy from 2011-2013.

Mr. Lussenhop has served in the field of public diplomacy and strategic communications in numerous posts overseas, including Public Affairs Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan from 2010-2011. Other overseas assignments include positions at U.S. embassies in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Kuwait; Muscat, Oman; Rabat, Morocco; Sofia, Bulgaria; and Manila, Philippines. In Washington, DC, Mr. Lussenhop has served in the State Department’s Bureau of Near East and North African Affairs, and as Director of Public Diplomacy Training at the Foreign Service Institute.Mr. Lussenhop is the recipient of multiple State Department Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards. He speaks Arabic and French, and is a native of Minnesota and a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.

Moderated by Dr. Richard Kurin, Smithsonian Distinguished Scholar and Ambassador-at-Large, Smithsonian Institution

Dr. Richard Kurin is the Smithsonian Distinguished Scholar and Ambassador-at-Large, the first person so designated in the 171-year history of the Institution. Prior to his current role, Kurin served as Acting Provost and Under Secretary for Museums and Research from 2015, and from 2007, as Under Secretary for History, Art, and Culture. Kurin served on the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO and helped draft an international treaty, now ratified by 170 nations, to safeguard living cultural heritage. He led efforts to save heritage in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake and has overseen projects for saving heritage endangered by natural disaster in Nepal and the U.S., and by human conflict in Mali, Egypt, Iraq and Syria. Kurin serves as Smithsonian liaison to the U.S. President’s Committee for the Arts and the Humanities and the White House Historical Association, and is a member of the U.S. Department of State Cultural Heritage Coordinating Committee.

The Pandora Papers: AC Quoted in ICIJ’s Expose

Posted on October 13, 2021December 13, 2021 by Nora Malatinszky

The ICIJ’s expose is a must-read, deeply reported investigation that destroys so much of the false narrative that glorifies Douglas Latchford and the antiquities trade. The journalists reached out to Tess Davis, the Antiquities Coalition’s Executive Director, for comments and insight on how the illicit trade has been influenced and maintained by cultural racketeers like Douglas Latchford.

“Accusations against Latchford … have been a matter of legal record for nearly 10 years now,” said Tess Davis, a lawyer, archaeologist and the executive director of the Antiquities Coalition, an organization that campaigns against the trafficking of cultural artifacts. “Museum leaders have had more than enough time to do the right thing. Instead, there is deafening silence.”

The investigative journalists behind this expose also drew insight from Davis and a colleague, Angela Chiu, who is a scholar of Asian art. Her interview with the Antiquities Coalition on the impact of the Pandora Papers on the art and antiquities trade can be found here. Follow here to read more on the Pandora Papers as news comes out.