Tag: IADAA

Will cultural property from Afghanistan enter the black art market? The Afghan crisis has given rise to serious concerns about the fate of the country’s heritage under the Taliban. International dealers’ associations announce how they oppose this danger.

The illicit trade in antiquities is much smaller, less organised, and more dispersed than previously thought. That is the conclusion of a new report by RAND Corporation, a major research organisation. And it explains where distorted ideas come from.

IADAA has evaluated the World Customs Organisation’s 200-page Illicit Trade Report 2018. The data shows that this sector accounts for just 0.08% of all reported cases and seizures.

The European Union has passed its proposals for the import licensing of cultural property – unfortunately taking a big step backwards in the process. IADAA continues to argue that the measures fail to meet the EU’s own standards of proportionality.

Interpol has launched its new website. There is an interesting development: Baseless statements on the importance of illicit trade in cultural property were removed. This is important as these statements have been used in political argumentation.

In December the latest World Customs Organisation Illicit Trade Report was published. Cultural Property are the most insignificant problem with 0.2 %. This begs the question: How is it possible that politicians know about these figures and nevertheless see a need for action?