AC’s Efforts to Combat Looting in Egypt Cited in The National News
May 25, 2022
As the fight against cultural looting persists, developing stronger policy and legislation is one of the Antiquities Coalition’s top priorities. In 2016, the Antiquities Coalition encouraged an agreement between the U.S. and Egypt to protect Egypt’s cultural heritage from trafficking. The agreement was renewed for another five years in December 2021.
In a recent article with The National News, Chairman and Founder of the Antiquities Coalition, Deborah Lehr, highlighted the significance of this agreement:
“When you have the [agreement], it switches the burden of proof. Egypt doesn’t have to prove that the items were looted. The importer has to prove that it’s legitimate,” Lehr says.
This article shines a light on the severity of antiquity looting in countries including Egypt, Yemen, and Iraq, and how these nations are working to return their stolen heritage. It is critical that the narrative around the illicit trade of art and antiquities continues to shift toward a global understanding that looting is a crime with extreme consequences for our shared history, human rights, and global security.
Read the full article here.