Digging In: The Latest from Antiquities Coalition
Quarterly Highlights
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On behalf of the Antiquities Coalition, we wish everyone a very Happy New Year and are looking forward to another active year fighting cultural racketeering.
Last quarter, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Antiquities Coalition. Since our founding in 2014, we have grown from a startup to a major player in the field, which is now partnering with the United States, numerous foreign governments around the world, and intergovernmental organizations like the G20. We are the first to realize we still have a long way to go – however, we are proud of what we have achieved so far, and we are energized to keep pushing forward. Together with our diverse network of partners and supporters, we are determined to continue making strides in the fight against cultural racketeering. Take a look at our Q4 2024 highlights below and join us as we embark on 2025.
Spotlight
🌎 UN General Assembly Passes Key Resolution Addressing Cultural Racketeering
On December 6, 2024, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted Resolution A/79/L.16, an important milestone in the global fight against the illicit trade of cultural property. The resolution, titled “Return or restitution of cultural property to the countries of origin,” highlights the devastating impact of illicit trafficking on cultural heritage and calls for enhanced international cooperation to protect these invaluable assets.
This resolution reaffirms the international community’s commitment to protecting cultural heritage as a shared resource for humanity and underscores the urgent need for coordinated global action, urging member states to strengthen law enforcement, develop specialized cultural property protection units, and ensure proactive measures are taken within the art market to verify the provenance of cultural objects.
The Antiquities Coalition applauds the UNGA’s leadership in spotlighting this issue, but we must ensure that this resolution’s recommendations are not merely words on paper and are implemented through concrete actions.
🔍 Dig Deeper
☑️ Think Tank Charts Course to Strengthen G20 Cultural Policy
A new policy brief from the Antiquities Coalition’s Think Tank seeks to support the Group of 20’s Cultural Working Group as it continues to address issues surrounding culture head on. Emeritus Professor Ian Lilley, past Secretary-General of the International Committee on Archaeological Heritage Management (ICAHM) and an internationally renowned leader in the field, puts forward 5 specific recommendations for the G20’s Culture Working Group (CWG). These include concrete steps the task force can take to protect culture, such as combating the illicit antiquities trade, as well as better incorporating preservation in sustainable development strategies. Lilley’s proposals build on those developed earlier by the Antiquities Coalition in their 2021 report, Safeguarding Cultural Heritage in Conflict Zones: A Roadmap for the G20.
Culture is fundamental to both social and economic development—a fact now recognized by the highest levels of national government, the United Nations, and most recently, the Group of 20 (G20). The G20’s 19 member states and two regional bodies (the European Union and African Union) account for at least 90% of the global art market, as well as 85% of the global GDP and over 75% of global trade. Given these statistics, and its status as the premier international economic cooperation forum, the G20 is in a unique position to harness the full power of culture.
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💰 AC Convenes Global Experts at the 12th UNTOC Conference of the Parties
In November, the AC was proud to co-host a side event on the margins of the 12th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, titled “Beyond Looting and Trafficking: Recommendations for Combating Crimes Facilitated by the Art Market.” In collaboration with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Governments of Italy, Mexico, and the United States, the event reintroduced this critical issue to the meeting’s agenda for the first time in over 10 years, marking it as the only side event dedicated to cultural racketeering.
Crimes that involve cultural property or works of art are just that – crimes, first and foremost. The AC thanks Italy, Mexico, the United States, and UNODC for sharing their expertise and experience, a strong sign that an increasing number of governments of the world recognize the need for action at the top to bar criminals from the $70 billion global art market. The AC remains committed to promoting innovative solutions for combating looting and enhancing the protection of cultural heritage across the globe.
🔍 Dig Deeper
In Case You Missed It
🇹🇭 Antiquities Coalition Observes International Day Against Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Property with Partners in Bangkok
On November 14, 2024, the Antiquities Coalition was honored to participate in the Seminar on the Occasion of the International Day against Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Property in Bangkok, Thailand. The event, co-organized by UNESCO and the U.S. Embassy in Thailand, brought together global leaders, cultural heritage experts, and law enforcement officials to address the ongoing crisis of illicit trafficking in cultural property, with a particular focus on the South-East Asian region.
The event also included a ceremony to repatriate Ban Chiang artifacts from the U.S. to Thailand, highlighting the challenges and opportunities faced by South-East Asia, a region rich in cultural heritage but vulnerable to illicit trafficking due to its numerous global trade hubs and its growing role in the art and antiquities market.
📣 ASEAN States Issue Strong Statement Against Cultural Racketeering
In October, leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) released their 2024 Vision Statement as part of the organization’s 44th and 45th Summits, which announced a new regional initiative: the ASEAN Cultural Heritage List (ACHL). The ACHL would complement UNESCO’s efforts to inventory significant heritage while also addressing the region’s specific needs, assist agencies responsible for enforcing ASEAN member states’ four regional legal instruments for the protection of cultural property, and build on ASEAN’s work to address the looting and trafficking of cultural heritage.
🖼️ AC Joins Meridian International for a Cultural Crimes Salon to Safeguard Culture
Cultural racketeering is not just the romantic subject of Hollywood films and mystery novels— it poses immediate threats to national security, global economy, and human rights around the world.
On November 12, the Antiquities Coalition was honored to lead a thoughtful discussion as part of the Meridian International Center's "Cultural Diplomacy Salon Series" in partnership with the Antiquities Coalition and Lugano Diamonds, focused on the Illicit Art Market and the Fight for Cultural Preservation.
Leading experts, including Deborah Lehr, Chairman and Founder of the Antiquities Coalition, Tess Davis, Executive Director of the Antiquities Coalition, Special Agent Jessica Dittmer of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Art Crime Team, and Dr. Richard Kurin, Distinguished Scholar and Ambassador at Large for the Smithsonian Institution, came together to explore the far-reaching impacts of art crime on the world today. Most importantly, discussants drew on their collective experience to share with the government, military, civil society, and the private sector why we must pursue immediate action to combat this global threat.
2024 Feature
🎉 The AC Turns 10
As long as there have been tombs, there have been tomb raiders. Yet in the modern world, this plunder is taking place on a scale never before seen in history. Criminals, armed insurgents, and even violent extremists are stealing entire chapters of our shared history to feed a growing demand for ancient art.
We created the Antiquities Coalition to fight back.
To protect our shared heritage and global security, the Antiquities Coalition is leading the global campaign against cultural racketeering, the illicit trade in ancient art and artifacts. We champion better law and policy, foster diplomatic cooperation, and advance proven solutions with governments, law enforcement, and the legitimate market. We are working towards a future when the past is preserved for the next generation, not looted, smuggled, and sold to finance crime, conflict, and terror.
Don’t want to wait for quarterly updates? You can follow the Antiquities Coalition on our social channels (X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram) for the latest news and developments in the fight to combat looting.