Month: March 2026

AC Executive Director Tess Davis Shares Insights in New UNESCO Online Training Targeting Cultural Property Crime

Posted on by Parker Blackwell

Heritage professionals, legal experts, and policymakers united to confront one of the most urgent threats to our shared past: the illicit trafficking of cultural property. In March 2026, UNESCO launched a new massive open online course (MOOC), “Preventing Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Property.”

Together leading experts from law enforcement, heritage protection, and international policy addressed the growing recognition that antiquities trafficking is not merely a cultural issue—it is a serious transnational crime. Cultural racketeers target the world’s richest archaeological sites, museums, and historic collections for financial gain, cooperating across borders and taking advantage of weak enforcement environments, created by conflict or political instability. 

To combat the illicit trade in art and antiquities, UNESCO’s new course explores key elements for law enforcement, the judiciary, and heritage professionals:

  • International legal frameworks addressing crimes involving cultural property
  • Criminal behavior targeting archaeological sites and museums, particularly in conflict or post-conflict settings where security is fragile
  • Practical tools and strategies to safeguard cultural heritage and prevent illicit trafficking

AC Executive Director Tess Davis was honored to contribute to the course, providing expert insights into how criminals exploit cultural heritage for financial gain.

Over the past two decades, awareness of the dangers posed by cultural racketeering has grown significantly. What was once often viewed as a niche issue within the heritage sector is now widely recognized as a matter of international security and economic integrity.

Governments, international organizations, museums, and civil society groups have responded with new initiatives, stronger laws, and expanded partnerships. These efforts include improved border enforcement, enhanced due diligence standards in the art market, and greater coordination among law enforcement agencies.

Yet the fight against illicit trafficking remains an ongoing challenge. Criminal networks continue to adapt, and many heritage-rich regions still lack the tools needed to effectively monitor sites, investigate crimes, and prosecute traffickers.

Capacity-building initiatives such as this are essential for strengthening expertise across institutions and borders, effectively transforming awareness into action. The Antiquities Coalition commends UNESCO for developing this important program and advancing international cooperation to protect cultural heritage. 

Learn more about the course and enroll through UNESCO’s Open Learning Platform:
 https://openlearning.unesco.org/courses/course-v1:UNESCO+CLT_001+2025_T1_ENG/about

Antiquities Coalition and Meridian International Host Diplomatic Dialogue on Antiquities Trafficking and Repatriation in Asia

Posted on by Parker Blackwell

When antiquities are looted, we lose far more than objects. We lose context, knowledge, and the stories that connect communities to their past. Today, the consequences of illicit antiquities trafficking are particularly visible across Asia, where a growing crisis threatens archaeological sites and cultural heritage.

To address these challenges, the Antiquities Coalition and the Meridian International Center convened a high-level diplomatic dialogue in Washington, DC, bringing together senior representatives from across Asia. 

Diplomats representing nations from ASEAN+3 joined the discussion to exchange perspectives on emerging threats, practical tools for enforcement and prevention, and opportunities to strengthen cooperation among governments, law enforcement, museums, and responsible actors in the art market.

Regional cooperation is essential to confronting the illicit antiquities trade. Stolen objects often pass through multiple countries before appearing years—or even decades—later in galleries, auction houses, or private collections around the world. The global nature of the market means no country can address this challenge alone.

“There are reasons for optimism,” said Deborah Lehr, Chairman and Founder of the Antiquities Coalition. “There is growing political awareness, and increasingly informed consumers who understand that many of these objects were removed illegally. Governments are strengthening laws and cooperation, and we are seeing important examples of successful returns.”

Across Asia, governments are advancing solutions to promote responsible market practices and strengthen cultural heritage protection. These efforts include multilateral commitments such as the 2022 G20 Statement on Cultural Heritage under the Indonesian Presidency, and bilateral efforts such as U.S. Cultural Property Agreements with partner nations. These frameworks are already producing results, with countries such as Cambodia and China celebrating major returns of stolen cultural heritage.

The Antiquities Coalition looks forward to continuing dialogue with partners across Asia and beyond to strengthen global security and protect our shared heritage.

 

NATO SPS Supported Workshop Launches New Initiative to Counter the Weaponization of Cultural Heritage

Posted on by Parker Blackwell

The Antiquities Coalition and Raphael Lemkin Society Partner to Help the World’s Largest Security Alliance Respond to a Growing Threat.

A joint civilian-military effort is translating the frontline experience of Ukraine—whose cultural heritage has been systematically targeted as part of Russia’s invasion—into actionable lessons for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

This new initiative is led by the U.S.-based Antiquities Coalition and the Raphael Lemkin Society of Ukraine. It brings together an interdisciplinary set of experts from across NATO Member States and partner countries, drawing from the military, intelligence, law enforcement, legal, and cultural heritage communities. The immediate goal is to establish a sustained platform for research, collaboration, and training to confront an escalating security challenge.

This program launched in 2025 with an advanced research workshop in Italy, supported by NATO’s Science for Peace and Security Programme. This two-day intensive workshop focused on a high-stakes case study of the problem: how Russia is advancing its military and political objectives in Ukraine and beyond through cultural heritage exploitation, including cultural looting and destruction, disinformation campaigns, and sanctions evasion through art market misuse. From November 7–9, 35 leading authorities from 11 NATO and partner countries convened in Bassano del Grappa, the 2025 Cultural Capital of Veneto. Rebuilt after heavy bombing in both World Wars, the city stands as a reminder that cultural heritage can be both a casualty of armed conflict and a source of postwar resilience.

“Ukrainian culture suffers from the Russian invasion every day,” said Anastasiia Oleksii, Executive Director of the Raphael Lemkin Society, highlighting the need for the workshop. She stressed, “We have been losing not only cultural property but also people of culture: people who have already contributed to Ukrainian culture and people who could have contributed to it. This kind of uncountable loss is hard to comprehend.”

Through expert panels, focused discussions, and strategic sessions, workshop participants examined how the Kremlin has integrated cultural heritage into its broader campaign of aggression, reviewed existing legal and policy frameworks to fight back, and shared real-world lessons from Ukraine. More importantly, they identified practical steps to strengthen defenses, enhance coordination, and close gaps across the military, law enforcement, and policy communities. This dialogue reinforced the need for deepened transatlantic collaboration and laid the groundwork for continued joint action.

In closing the workshop, Antiquities Coalition Executive Director Tess Davis emphasized why this issue matters for NATO, stating “Cultural heritage exploitation has clearly been identified not as a niche preservation concern, but as a hybrid, cognitive, and escalating security threat that directly affects deterrence, decision-making, and Alliance cohesion.”

The impact of this workshop will extend far beyond the seminar room. In the months ahead, the initiative will continue as participants work together to advance analysis, targeted training, NATO-aligned recommendations, and a forthcoming publication to ensure all findings are integrated into future security planning across the Alliance.

The organizers thank the NATO SPS program for its support in countering the exploitation of cultural heritage as a weapon of war.

U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield Issues Call to Action Amid Renewed Conflict in the Middle East

Posted on by Parker Blackwell

Since February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel have carried out strikes on Iran, prompting Iranian missile and drone attacks across the region, including against Israel and areas hosting U.S. forces. As the conflict escalates, cultural heritage and other civilian sites across the Middle East face heightened risk.

In response, a statement from the U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield (USCBS) calls on all parties to uphold their obligations under international law, including the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its Protocols.

As the USCBS states, 

The destruction of cultural heritage is irreversible. It erases identity, history, and the shared memory of civilizations. No military or political objective justifies the willful or negligent destruction of humanity’s common inheritance. Such destruction is also one of the actions that can make returning to a state of peace more difficult.

The 1954 Hague Convention and its protocols establish clear legal duties to:

  • Refrain from directing attacks against cultural property
  • Avoid using cultural sites for military purposes
  • Protect and respect cultural heritage in both the planning and execution of military operations
  • Preserve access to and documentation of threatened sites

The United States, Israel, and Iran are all States Parties to the treaty. 

In the words of the USCBS statement,

We urge the United States Government, the Israeli Defense Forces, and all parties involved to take immediate and concrete steps to identify, map, and protect cultural sites throughout the region, especially in Iran, in full compliance with international humanitarian law.   

Read the full statement here.

AC Chairman and Founder Deborah Lehr Argues Successful Peace Settlement for Ukraine Must Include Cultural Property

Posted on by Parker Blackwell

Since the onset of Russian aggression in Ukraine, cultural property has been a key objective of Russia’s war strategy, exploited as a tool for propaganda and destroyed to erase Ukrainian identity.

In an op-ed published on March 5, 2026, for The Hill, Antiquities Coalition’s Chairman and Founder Deborah Lehr looks at an issue that should be part of any future Ukraine peace settlement: the return of looted cultural heritage.

The widespread destruction and theft of Ukraine’s cultural heritage is not incidental. Throughout history, cultural heritage has been both a victim and a weapon of war—to erase identity, rewrite narratives, and claim legitimacy over territory. Allowing Russia to retain Ukraine’s stolen cultural treasures would validate propaganda narratives, reward wartime looting, and embed grievances that could last for generations.

History also shows that the United States has played a leading role in confronting these crimes. Drawing on the legacy of the Monuments Men and Women, Lehr argues that U.S. negotiators now have an opportunity to continue that tradition by ensuring that Ukraine’s stolen cultural property is returned as part of any peace settlement.

As of early 2026, the U.S. is leading efforts to broker peace settlement to end the Ukraine-Russia war. As the United States helps shape the path toward any future settlement, one principle should remain clear: no nation should be allowed to erase another’s past.

Lehr concludes, 

“Ukraine’s cultural heritage is its art, history and faith. To allow Russia to retain the stolen cultural treasures would be to concede part of Ukraine’s identity at the negotiating table. As the United States helps shape the terms of any settlement, it should ensure that Russia cannot steal the record of Ukraine’s past or the foundation of its future.”

Read the op-ed in The Hill, here.

Want to learn more? Read the AC Think Tank Policy Brief, How Does Russia Exploit History and Cultural Heritage for Information Warfare? Recommendations for NATO, here.

Check out the Ten Most Wanted Missing Antiquities List to uncover the story of the Mariupol Bull Figurine, an 8,000-year-old Neolithic carving, looted during Russia’s 2022 siege of Ukraine, here.