Working Group Publication References the AC and Task Force Report

Building on the previous work of Saudi Arabia, Italy, and Indonesia, the Government of India led the G20 to prioritize and take action on cultural heritage protection during its 2023 presidency.  

Under the leadership of India, the Culture Working Group convened four times over the course of the year examined the following topics:

1. Protection and restitution of cultural property
2. Harnessing living heritage for a sustainable future
3. Promotion of cultural and creative industries and creative economy
4. Leveraging digital technologies for the promotion and protection of culture

These meetings were supported by four thematic webinars, held between March and April of 2023, which were focused on fostering collaborative dialogue and knowledge sharing on each priority topic. 

The Antiquities Coalition, the only non-governmental organization to participate in the first thematic webinar, was represented by Executive Director Tess Davis, who delivered five recommendations for the G20 to combat looting and trafficking. 

The discussion and outcomes of the thematic webinars were published by the Culture Working Group in a paper titled “G20 CULTURE: Shaping the Global Narrative for Inclusive Growth.” Davis’s remarks and the AC’s 2021 Task Force Report, Safeguarding Cultural Heritage In Conflict Zones: A Roadmap for the G20 to Combat the Illicit Trade, were both referenced in the paper alongside other expert reports.

Read G20 Culture: Shaping the Global Narrative for Inclusive Growth here.

Catch up on the first thematic webinar here. 

The Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency (FACT) Coalition has named Helena Arose, the Antiquities Coalition’s Director of Programs, to their list of anti-money laundering experts. Arose’s work with the Antiquities Coalition has centered around collaborating with key stakeholders to fight the illicit trade of ancient art and antiquities as well as financial crimes facilitated by the global art market. 

For too long, the looting and trafficking of ancient antiquities has been seen as a victimless crime. However, art and antiquities have financed some of the last century’s worst villains—from the Nazis, to the Khmer Rouge, the IRA, al Qaeda, the Taliban, and Daesh (ISIS). Far beyond warzones, criminals are also exploiting the art market’s vulnerabilities to commit a wide range of offenses from fraud to forgery, tax evasion, money laundering, and sanctions violations.

The Antiquities Coalition commends the FACT Coalition for including the fight against this illicit trade into their accountability and transparency efforts and looks forward to future joint efforts to combat cultural racketeering.

Return to the UN Cultural Organization Will Provide a Global Platform for American Leadership

On July 25, First Lady Jill Biden oversaw the raising of the American flag at the Paris headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), marking Washington’s return to the institution after a five-year absence. 

The Trump Administration had officially withdrawn from UNESCO in 2017, completing a process that started in 2011 when the Obama Administration froze all its financial contributions. By rejoining UNESCO, the United States will again have a seat at the table with the organization’s 193 other Member States, providing an important platform for American leadership at a critical time. UNESCO is the foremost global organization working to combat threats to our world heritage—and the sole agency with a mandate to do so within the UN framework—including the looting and trafficking of art and antiquities and cultural destruction in armed conflict like those now ranging in Ukraine, Sudan, and beyond. 

“As a founding member, the United States has previously been instrumental in working with UNESCO to fight the illicit trade in cultural property, mobilizing the international community to ratify international treaties, push for action at the UN Security Council, and respond on the ground in times of crisis,” said Deborah Lehr, Founder and Chairman of the Antiquities Organization. “As an organization that shares this mission, we commend the Administration for its return. Our revamped relationship with UNESCO will benefit not just our shared heritage, but our country, by again giving us a voice on the world stage.”

The Antiquities Coalition has long urged Washington to engage and participate fully in UNESCO. This week’s return fulfills a key recommendation of the nonprofit organization’s 2016 #CultureUnderThreatTask Force. Its report noted that American absence had reduced the “United States’ ability to drive policy and impact the broader agenda of UNESCO,” and with it the world. 

The Antiquities Coalition congratulates the Administration for reaching such an important foreign policy goal. It also encourages US policymakers to use this opportunity to continue strengthening our great tradition of leadership on cultural issues. As UNESCO continues to tackle contemporary challenges, the United States can play a key role in finding solutions. 

The United States is the world’s largest art market, making up 45% of the global total, placing the U.S. in a unique position to make a difference in the fight against cultural racketeering. However, global players like the Gulf States are quickly growing their roles with the creation of new and prominent museums, a booming art market, and increasing cultural tourism. In particular, the government of Saudi Arabia is well-positioned to become a leader in the global fight against the illicit trafficking of art and artifacts.

Tess Davis, Executive Director of the Antiquities Coalition, co-facilitated a training that explored how to combat the illicit trade of cultural objects with the Heritage Commission of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Partnering with the Institute of International Education (IIE), the Heritage Commission held the three-day event provided participants with greater knowledge of the issue and solutions against this challenge. The Heritage Commission gathered professionals from within the Commission, as well as the Diriyah Gate Development Company, the Royal Commission for Al-‘Ula, Museums Commission, Public Prosecution, Interpol, the Ministry of Interior, MOFA, and The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority to participate. This training is one of a series of trainings aimed to build the technical capacity of the Heritage Commission staff, leading to the overall strengthening of the skillset and professional capabilities of KSA’s cultural sector workforce.

The partner program implementing this training, IIE, works to advance scholarship, build economies, and promote access to opportunities through international education. The organization has engaged more than 29,000 program participants in over 180 countries. 

The session was co-facilitated by Dr. Erin L. Thompson, Professor of Fraud, Forensics, Art Law and Crime at John Jay College of Criminal Justice at City University of New York. Dr. Thompson is an expert in the intersection of art and crime, encompassing such topics as antiquities theft and trafficking, forgery, and the ethics of digital reproductions of cultural heritage. Her first book,

Possession: The Curious History of Private Collectors (Yale, 2016) examines the history of acquisition of Greek and Roman antiquities by private individuals, and her second, Smashing Statues: The Rise and Fall of American Public Monuments (Norton, 2022) delivers a historical, legal, and political analysis of protests and removal of monuments in the United States from its establishment to the present.

Abir Chorfa, National Director for the Antiquities Coalition projects in Algeria, also joined as a co-facilitator. In her work with the Antiquities Coalition, Ms. Chorfa has overseen the development and implementation of multiple solutions in service of safeguarding heritage and furthering international cooperation and diplomatic efforts.

Davis’ session focused on the impact of cultural diplomacy and international cooperation in mitigating the illicit trade. The training ended with the opportunity to create a roadmap to foster international cooperation, strengthen law and enforcement, engage the community to monitor and protect sites, and identify other key stakeholders to prevent antiquities trafficking in Saudi Arabia.

The Antiquities Coalition thanks the KSA Heritage Commission for hosting these insightful conversations and looks forward to engaging in future collaborations with Saudi Arabia to end cultural racketeering around the world.

President Biden and Prime Minister Modi Commit to Cultural Property Agreement in Joint White House Statement

Last week’s state visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi repeatedly highlighted the growing importance of cultural property protection, and specifically combating the illicit antiquities trade, to the India-U.S. bilateral relationship. 

During the four-day tour to Washington, D.C.—which included a high-profile welcome ceremony, state dinner, and congressional address—the Prime Minister and President Joe Biden pledged to strengthen their already close partnership on this issue. Their top priority is finalizing a Cultural Property Agreement (CPA), which would close American markets to looted, stolen, and illegally exported art and artifacts from India. This commitment was enshrined in the Joint Statement between both leaders, issued at the White House on June 22, alongside key defense, trade, and technology goals. 

As an organization dedicated to fighting the illicit trade in ancient art and artifacts, the Antiquities Coalition had a front row seat to this important announcement. Tess Davis, Executive Director of the Antiquities Coalition, attended the White House Welcome Ceremony on June 22, as well as the State Luncheon held on June 23, where she represented the organization among a distinguished and global group of politicians, diplomats, and members of the private sector. 

In addition to the joint statement, PM Modi announced that the United States would return over 100 antiquities to India in his goodbye address:  “I am happy that the American government has decided to return more than 100 Indian antiquities that had been stolen from us. These antiquities may have gotten to the international market in different ways – some legal, some illegal. I express my gratitude to the American government for returning these items.”

The Antiquities Coalition welcomes these strong steps from global leaders, which signify that cultural heritage protection and lawful exchange is a priority for both governments. Moreover, the AC emphasizes that CPAs between the United States and foreign governments are important tools to combat cultural racketeering. Under U.S. and international law, the United States can join these agreements to prevent looted and stolen antiquities and artifacts from entering the American art market, fighting the illicit trade while allowing the legal trade to continue and even thrive. They also aim to lessen global demand for illicit objects—especially since the U.S. makes up some 45% of the global art market—while increasing responsible cultural exchange.  

Read the full statement here. 

Learn more about Cultural Property Agreements here.