New Statement Builds on Five Years of Work Between Both Countries to Counter the Illicit Trade

The Antiquities Coalition welcomes the announcement of renewed cultural heritage cooperation between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United States, reflecting an ongoing shared commitment to combat the illicit trade in cultural property and protect consumers in both countries.

In Manama on January 27, a new statement on cooperation in cultural heritage was signed by His Excellency Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) and Allison Hooker, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.

This updated statement builds upon the principles outlined in the landmark 2021 Manama Statement of Cooperation, which emphasized the importance of protecting and preserving cultural heritage through international partnership.

Together, Bahrain—a growing leader in the region on cultural heritage preservation—and the United States—the world’s largest art and antiquities market—are uniquely positioned to make meaningful progress in disrupting cultural racketeering networks and promoting responsible market practices.

The new statement reflects a strengthened bilateral focus on:

• Enhancing the exchange of information to prevent illicit trafficking of cultural property
• Sharing best practices and raising awareness of legal protections for heritage
• Supporting networks dedicated to combating the illicit trade in art and antiquities
• Promoting responsible art market standards and advancing cultural exchange

The governments of Bahrain and the United States are to be commended for their continued leadership and dedication to safeguarding our shared cultural heritage. Building on the momentum of the 2021 Manama Statement, this new statement signals that when nations work together, meaningful change remains possible.

The Founder and Chairman of the Antiquities Coalition, Deborah Lehr, was delighted to join an evening hosted by the Italian Ambassador to the United States at the beautiful Villa Firenze to mark a major milestone: 25 years of the U.S.–Italy Cultural Property Agreement.

The event brought together senior leaders from government, law enforcement, museums, and the legal community to celebrate one of the most successful and enduring models for protecting cultural heritage and combating the illicit trade in antiquities.

Signed in 2001 and renewed four times—most recently on December 5, 2025—the U.S.–Italy Cultural Property Agreement is now the longest-standing Cultural Property Agreement in continental Europe. Its longevity is no accident. It reflects both its effectiveness and the deep, sustained partnership between the United States and Italy in confronting looting, trafficking, and organized crime.

For a quarter century, the agreement has demonstrated that Cultural Property Agreements work. They secure U.S. borders against stolen and looted antiquities, reduce demand for trafficked cultural objects, and support lawful cultural exchange. Just as importantly, they serve as powerful diplomatic tools—strengthening bilateral relationships while safeguarding humanity’s shared heritage.

The evening featured remarks and participation from an impressive group of leaders, including H.E. Marco Peronaci, Ambassador of Italy to the United States; Darren Beattie, Senior Bureau Official at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs; Brigadier General Antonio Petti, Commander of Italy’s Carabinieri Unit for the Protection of Cultural Heritage; Charles Wall, Deputy Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and Scott R. Schelble, Deputy Assistant Director for International Operations at the FBI.

Deborah Lehr joined a panel discussion alongside Chase F. Robinson, Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, and Channah Norman, Co-Chair of Art Law at Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP, to explore how governments, museums, and the private sector can work together to address the illicit trade in antiquities. The conversation highlighted the tangible, real-world impact of the agreement—and the importance of continued collaboration.

A Model for Combating Looting

The Cultural Property Agreement complements Italy’s robust domestic efforts to combat antiquities trafficking, particularly through the Carabinieri’s Art Crime Squad—the world’s first national force dedicated to protecting cultural heritage. The results speak for themselves. In 2013 alone, Italy reported a 29 percent decrease in looting compared to the previous year, alongside a 6 percent increase in individuals reported for cultural heritage crimes.

Strengthening Cultural Diplomacy and Exchange

Beyond enforcement, the agreement has been a cornerstone of cultural diplomacy. In 2013, the White House cited the U.S.–Italy Cultural Property Agreement as a keystone of bilateral educational exchange. Italy continues to welcome American researchers and students and has generously loaned collections to U.S. museums, reinforcing the principle that protecting heritage and sharing culture go hand in hand.

Returning Cultural Heritage Home

The agreement has also played a critical role in facilitating the return of stolen heritage. In May 2024, the United States returned roughly 600 looted and stolen artifacts to Italy, valued at an estimated $65–80 million. Italy’s Ministry of Culture marked the occasion with a public presentation and temporary exhibition—raising awareness about the devastating impact of looting and trafficking.

As the Antiquities Coalition looks ahead, the message from the evening was clear: Cultural Property Agreements help to protect borders, enable exchange, and strengthen diplomacy. They protect the US consumer. They are practical, proven tools—and they work.

The Antiquities Coalition remains committed to advancing these agreements and to building the partnerships needed to safeguard the past and secure the future.

Guest contribution from Ian Tennant from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC)

As demonstrated by dedicated events in recent fora, such as the 11th Conference of States Parties to the UNCAC in Doha, there is a growing momentum to address the illicit trade in art and antiquities—but as our work at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) shows, this criminal market remains widely misunderstood.

From the available research and analysis, it is clear that antiquities trafficking is uniquely vulnerable to abuse and criminality because both legal and illegal objects often move through the same channels in a “grey market,” where anonymity, secrecy, and opaque ownership histories are the norm. For authorities and genuine enthusiasts and dealers to differentiate between legal, illegal, fake, and genuine artefacts is extremely challenging, particularly in an international art market that has not historically encouraged external scrutiny or transparency.

These conditions create fertile ground for corruption. Across regions affected by insecurity or conflict, looting increases as economic hardship grows and state authority weakens. From the circulation of artefacts looted by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria through transnational criminal networks, to large-scale trafficking in parts of Europe, antiquities crime consistently intersects with corruption and broader organized crime ecosystems.

High value, secrecy, and weak oversight make cultural objects attractive for laundering profits and financing criminal activity. GI-TOC research has documented the scale of antiquities trafficking in North Macedonia, where an estimated 100,000 cultural objects are believed to have been illicitly removed from the country. These losses point to how organized criminal networks exploit weak oversight, corruption, and established smuggling routes to move cultural objects into international markets—often alongside other illicit goods. 

Encouragingly, this issue is gaining greater international attention. Recent discussions surrounding both UNCAC and the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (the UNTOC) reflect growing recognition that trafficking in cultural property is not only a threat to heritage, but also to security, governance, and prosperity.

Public awareness and genuine international cooperation are essential to disrupt a trade that causes irreversible harm and thrives on corruption. Combating this crime requires a holistic, multi-sectoral response—one that strengthens local resilience while addressing the transnational drivers, enablers, and markets that sustain demand. 

Context: Advancing Action on Cultural Racketeering through UNCAC

On the margins of the world’s leading anti-corruption forum, governments and experts are increasingly working together to confront cultural racketeering as a corruption-enabled crime.

During the 11th Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), convened in Doha, representatives from the Antiquities Coalition, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Italian Republic, and the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime convened a panel to examine how UNCAC’s existing tools can be more consistently and effectively applied to crimes involving looted and trafficked cultural heritage.

These discussions reflect a growing international consensus: protecting cultural heritage requires coordinated anti-corruption action—and UNCAC offers a critical framework to do so, alongside the broad range of international cooperation tools at our disposal. To help drive action, more granular analysis and policy engagement is needed.