Closing Legal Gaps, Centering Communities: Key Takeaways from ICAHM 2025
May 22, 2025
The Antiquities Coalition is grateful to have participated in the 2025 Annual Meeting of the International Scientific Committee on Archaeological Heritage Management (ICAHM), which concluded this weekend in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.
Executive Director Tess Davis, Director of Programs Helena Arose, and Professor Emeritus Ian Lilley in their roles as co-chairs of ICAHM’s Illicit Trafficking Working Group led “Process of Plundering and Restitution of Archaeological and Anthropological Collections,” exploring how heritage crimes can be tackled through legal, ethical, and policy reform, with a specific focus on Latin America.
The panelists’ insights reaffirmed that addressing these challenges requires more than international law—it requires political will, public engagement, and regional leadership. Several key themes emerged:
- Legal gaps continue to hinder heritage protection. From inconsistent definitions to jurisdictional loopholes, significant weaknesses in international cultural heritage law still frustrate repatriation efforts. One ongoing case, the repatriation of the Ancestors of the Atacameño Lickanamtay people of Chile, underscored ways in which these shortcomings are playing out today.
- Soft law and complementary legal tools can help—but only with stronger political will. Non-binding instruments like UN declarations and museum guidelines are critical, yet underutilized. Participants stressed the urgent need for greater awareness and commitment from policymakers to animate these tools.
- Multilateral collaboration and academic research are vital to advancing solutions. Professor Ian Lilley spotlit findings from his G20 Think Tank Policy Brief, “How Can The G20 Best Protect Cultural Heritage? Policy Recommendations To Strengthen Commitment In Support Of Hands-On Action,” offering a practical roadmap for global action that centers ethics, governance, and inclusive policymaking.
The Antiquities Coalition was honored to stand alongside partners from across the Americas—and around the world—in advancing these conversations and will continue to support and amplify this work through the ICAHM Illicit Trafficking Working Group, which remains open to new members committed to protecting cultural heritage from criminal exploitation.
Watch the AC-led session Process of Plundering and Restitution of Archaeological and Anthropological Collections, here.