In a recent Al Jazeera article, Executive Director Tess Davis underscored the broader implications of the pending Prakhon Chai repatriation, pointing to an enduring colonial mindset lingering in parts of the art world.

Looted from northeastern Thailand more than half a century ago, the “Prakhon Chai Hoard” includes over 100 bronze statues looted in the 1960s. Following escalating investigations into their whereabouts, the Thai government is calling for Western museums to interrogate their collections for looted artifacts and return them. The San Francisco Asian Art Museum is the first and only American museum to restitute its Prakhon Chai artifacts. With 14 more known pieces in other U.S. museums, the battle is far from over.

Met with calls for repatriation, many Western museums assume—mistakenly—that they are better carers, owners, custodians of the material past. However, as Tess says, 

“These antiquities were cared for by [their] communities for centuries, in some cases for millennia, before there was … a market demand for them, leading to their looting and trafficking.”

The infamous art dealer Douglas Latchford, emerging research suggests, likely began his decades-long plunder of Southeast Asia in Thailand. Amidst ongoing investigations into Latchford’s pillage of Cambodian temples, the AC has been pleased to help bring his crimes to light, raising awareness on podcasts, through Op-Eds, on television, and in the global press. 

As more museums face demands for transparency and ethical stewardship, the Antiquities Coalition welcomes this return as a hopeful step forward—and a reminder that true custodianship begins with justice. 

Read the full article from Al Jazeera, here.

Dive deeper into Latchford’s criminal network, here.

Learn more about Cambodia’s recovery of its stolen heritage, here.

High-Level UN Forum, Co-Sponsored by the Antiquities Coalition, Advances Stronger Criminal Justice Responses to Cultural Racketeering

Last week, Ambassador Yasser Elnaggar, member of the Advisory Council of the Antiquities Coalition, joined leaders from government, law enforcement, and civil society for Combating Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Property: Towards Stronger Criminal Justice Frameworks. This high-level convening, co-sponsored by the Antiquities Coalition, was part of the 34th session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ)—the United Nations’ principal policy making body for combating crime and upholding the rule of law. 

In addition to Ambassador Elnaggar, senior representatives spoke from Egypt, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, as well as the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). These included UNODC Director-General Ghada Waly and H.E. Amira Fahmy, Egypt’s Assistant Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. The participation of such senior officials from across the world and key UN bodies demonstrated a broad international commitment to confronting cultural racketeering as a serious threat to global security, due to its financing of organized crime, armed conflict, and terrorism.

The May 22 event in Vienna, part of the CCPCJ’s annual meeting, marked another step forward in ongoing efforts to fight back against this illicit trade and better protect the multi-billion-dollar art market from criminal exploitation. 

“The CCPCJ has a unique opportunity to make a difference on this issue,” remarked Ambassador Elnaggar. “Such action is especially needed because criminals, as always, are adapting. Today, we are confronting a broader and more complex landscape, in which cultural property is not just exploited by looters and traffickers—but for a wide range of crimes—including corruption, fraud and forgery, money laundering, sanctions and evasion, terrorist financing, and the abuse of offshore jurisdictions, shell companies, and trusts.”

As the international community looks to strengthen up its response, on behalf of the Antiquities Coalition, Ambassador Elnaggar urged the UN, CCPCJ, and all Member States to consider the following five concrete measures: 

• Recognize Cultural Property Crimes as a Security Issue. The international community must continue to reinforce the link between cultural property crimes and global peace and security. UNODC’s acknowledgment of this connection is a critical and welcome development. Member States should lend their full backing.
• Promote a Whole-of-UN Approach. UNESCO’s work is key, but it cannot tackle this crisis alone. Given the growing ties between cultural racketeering, organized crime, and other financial crime, a coordinated response must include UNODC, its legal instruments, and operational arms, in close collaboration with cultural agencies.
• Utilize Existing Legal Instruments. Existing international conventions—particularly the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and Corruption—offer powerful yet underused frameworks for addressing cultural property crimes. 
• Strengthen National Legal Frameworks. Governments too should recognize cultural racketeering as a serious crime, impose meaningful penalties, and integrate antiquities into anti-money laundering regimes. Relevant domestic laws on fraud, terrorism financing, and sanctions evasion should be applied to the art market where appropriate.
• Sustain Global Momentum. Ongoing international engagement is essential. Upcoming forums such as the 11th Conference of the States Parties to the UN Convention against Corruption (Doha, December 2025) and the 15th UN Crime Congress (Abu Dhabi, 2026) should build on this momentum to drive coordinated, long-term solutions.

In closing the forum, Ambassador Elnaggar summed up what is at stake: “This is not just about protecting our past—it is about securing our future. The tools already exist. What we need now is the political will to use them.”

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.

On May 13–14, 2015, as violent extremism tore through the Middle East and North Africa, ten nations stood together in a powerful act of resistance—not with weapons, but with a shared pledge to protect their history. 

The Cairo Declaration, announced during the landmark Cairo Conference on “Cultural Property Under Threat,”  marked the first regional action plan of its kind. It committed Egypt and nine other governments to coordinated efforts in combating the looting and destruction of cultural heritage—a tactic weaponized by terrorist groups like ISIS to erase identity and fund violence.

Hosted by the Arab Republic of Egypt and co-sponsored by the Antiquities Coalition, UNESCO, the Middle East Institute, and the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, the conference was attended by ministers, global heritage experts, law enforcement, archaeologists, and scholars. 

Key outcomes of the conference included:

• Recognition of heritage destruction as a war crime
  
• A call for urgent regional and international cooperation
  
• Support for public awareness campaigns linking antiquities trafficking to terrorism
  
• Commitment to strengthening legal frameworks for cultural protection

One decade later, the Cairo Declaration’s commitments have served as a roadmap for countries confronting cultural racketeering—spurring policy reforms, community education, and international cooperation. Powerful examples of regional cooperation have endured from the second Culture Under Threat Conference’s 2016 Amman Communiqué to the 2021 Manama Statement of Cooperation between the US and Bahrain, and extended as far as Southeast Asia following Cambodia’s pioneering efforts at the 2022 ASEAN Summit. 

As we mark the 10-year anniversary of this pivotal moment, we honor the leadership of those who stood together in 2015—and we reaffirm our shared responsibility to protect the past, for the future.

Read the Cairo Declaration, here.

Revisit insights from the #CultureUnderThreat Task Force, here. 

The Antiquities Coalition is honored to participate in the 2025 Annual Meeting of the International Scientific Committee on Archaeological Heritage Management (ICAHM), now underway in Chile. 

Launched at the Palacio Pereira—headquarters of the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage—the conference opened with a powerful ceremony reflecting Chile’s deep cultural ties to the land and its long-standing commitment to safeguarding archaeological heritage.

The gathering convenes a diverse group of stakeholders: global experts, national authorities, Indigenous communities, and cultural institutions united by a shared goal—ensuring the protection of archaeological sites for future generations. In her opening remarks, Esther Laroche, UNESCO Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, reflected that “here, the notion of heritage is not abstract: it is territory, identity, and culture.” Edgar Colque of the Council of Atacameño Peoples echoed this sentiment, asserting, “Indigenous worldviews are not frozen in the past. They are present, tied to land, and based on relationships…it is a legitimate and profound way of understanding heritage, its value, and its care.”

These insights reflect the real-world focus of this convening: finding results-driven, locally led solutions to protect cultural heritage—solutions that uphold the rule of law, national sovereignty, and respect for communities. These strategies extend beyond heritage preservation, contributing to economic growth and trade, reinforcing national and regional security, and fostering resilient communities. As a longtime advocate for practical, cross-sector collaboration, the Antiquities Coalition is proud to support this mission and contribute U.S. leadership to the effort.

Later this week, the Antiquities Coalition will host the session “Process of Plundering and Restitution of Archaeological and Anthropological Collections,”  led by Executive Director Tess Davis and Director of Programs Helena Arose in their capacity as co-leads of ICAHM’s Illicit Trafficking Working Group. The session will examine how heritage crimes—from looting to money laundering—can be addressed through legal, ethical, and policy reform, with a focus on Latin America.

ICAHM 2025 offers a vital platform to carry that message forward—backed by a regional perspective, shared responsibilities, and a shared determination to protect the past from plunder. 

Tune in to live updates from the conference on BlueSky and Twitter.

Revisit insights about the illicit trade in Central America, shared by Mexico’s Ambassador Javier Díaz de León at CoSP10 in 2023, here.

Read the Annual Meeting program, here.

The Gulf region is rapidly emerging as a global leader in arts, culture, and heritage—demonstrating not only its investment in preserving its own rich legacy, but also its commitment to international cooperation. This dedication was on full display at The International Forum on Cultural Heritage and Knowledge Development: Fostering a Culture of Integrated Protection, hosted in Abu Dhabi by the Department of Culture and Tourism.

Bringing together policymakers, educators, cultural heritage experts, and legal specialists from across the globe, the forum highlighted the importance of integrated, cross-sector solutions to the challenges facing cultural heritage today. Its collaborative format underscored a regional and international recognition that heritage protection is not a local issue—it is a global imperative requiring united action.

The Antiquities Coalition was honored to contribute to this important dialogue. Executive Director Tess Davis spoke on Enhancing Policy, Governance, Collaboration, and Legal Frameworks for Cultural Heritage Protection, sharing core strategies that have proven effective in the fight against cultural racketeering:

1. Leveraging existing tools and frameworks to protect the art and antiquities market from criminal misuse. Davis recalled the resonating impact of the Government of Yemen’s ratification of the 1970 UNESCO Convention in 2019—an extraordinary achievement during the height of the country’s humanitarian crisis—which enabled a bilateral Cultural Property Agreement with the United States to protect Yemeni antiquities.
2. Identifying and addressing gaps in laws, policies, and best practices to strengthen systemic safeguards. Bringing together the United States and Bahrain, the AC proudly facilitated the development of the Manama Statement, a focused, action-oriented agreement advancing bilateral cooperation against cultural racketeering and serving as a model for targeted legal reform.
3. Building and mobilizing political will to ensure meaningful enforcement and reform. The 2015 Cairo Declaration and 2016 Amman Communiqué, in which 17 MENA nations pledged to integrate heritage protection into their broader efforts to combat violent extremism, are strong examples of how high level convenings forge enduring relationships, enhancing regional heritage protections.

The Antiquities Coalition commends the Department of Culture and Tourism for convening such a timely and impactful forum, and looks forward to continued collaboration with partners in the Gulf and around the world to protect our shared heritage from looting, trafficking, and destruction.

Learn more about the forum, here.

Cultural plunder has consequences far beyond the crime itself.

When heritage is looted, entire communities lose access to entire chapters of their history. Even when artifacts are returned, the question remains: How do we return heritage—responsibly?

Statues from the Royal Palaces of Abomey. Musée du Quai Branly, 2018. Image by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra.

Dahomey, a 2024 documentary film directed by Mati Diop, traces the journey of 26 royal treasures from the Quai Branly in Paris back to the Kingdom of Dahomey in the modern-day Republic of Benin.

Publicly accessible and critically acclaimed, this film is attracting significant attention to the heritage field. Dahomey has been named “Best Film” at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival and was nominated for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards.

Mati Diop’s telling of the Benin repatriation is both poignant and pragmatic, documenting the often-overlooked practicalities of repatriation: from tediously inventorying and packing objects to hauling them up museum steps for reinstallation. Following a detailed portrayal of the artifacts’ journey to the brand-new Museum of West African Art in Benin City, Diop turns the microphone on Benin’s youth. Students at Benin’s University of Abomey-Calavi are shown engaging in nuanced debates about the implications of this repatriation—from political motives and economic limitations to the return’s postcolonial underpinnings. 

With Dahomey, Mati Diop concisely captures the key issues of cultural repatriation and communicates the enduring harms of colonialism and cultural plunder. 

Find out more about the film here.

Dr. Leslye Obiora seeks solutions to improve cultural repatriation to Africa in the AC Think Tank piece, “How Can the Protection of Cultural Property be Strengthened in Africa?” Read it here. 

The Antiquities Coalition Think Tank has released a new commentary titled “How Can the Protection of Cultural Property be Strengthened in Africa?”

Author Dr. Leslye Obiora, Professor of Law and former Minister of Mining and Steel Development for the Federal Republic of Nigeria, explores the importance of engaging traditional authorities in cultural property discussions and policy-making.

Dr. Obiora highlights Nigeria’s recent decision to grant ownership of the returned Benin Bronzes to the Oba as a powerful example of how involving local leadership can improve cultural property protection. Nigeria, like many African countries, faces unique post-colonial challenges that are often overlooked by Western legal frameworks.

In light of these oversights, Dr. Obiora evaluates the extent to which legal protections—such as the 1970 UNESCO Convention—to prevent the illicit transfer of cultural property accommodate local customs and authority structures. 

Her findings provide insights into the critical role traditional authorities could play in ensuring global efforts to safeguard Africa’s cultural heritage from cultural plunder are well-informed and just. 

Read and download Dr. Obiora’s AC Think Tank commentary here.

Browse all AC Think Tank publications here.

Following years of conflict in Sudan, the dust is finally settling in its capital city of Khartoum—revealing evidence of mass-looting, ravaged museums, and empty historical archives.

Despite herculean efforts on the ground, Sudan’s people continue to suffer one of the greatest cultural crises in recent history. Is it time to take a step back and reevaluate our international framework for heritage protection?

Read our recent LinkedIn article featuring a collaboration between one of Sudan’s most dedicated heritage professionals, Ali Nour, and AC Director of Programs Helena Arose, here and below, and follow the AC for more.