Antiquities Coalition

TO PROTECT OUR SHARED HERITAGE AND GLOBAL SECURITY, THE ANTIQUITIES COALITION IS LEADING THE INTERNATIONAL 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 PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERS WORLDWIDE. 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.

PRESERVING THE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF MINORITY COMMUNITIES OF IRAQ:THIS YEAR, WE LAUNCHED A NEW TWO-YEAR PROJECT, A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (USAID) AND THREE IRAQ-BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT REPRESENT MINORITY CHRISTIAN AND YAZIDI COMMUNITIES. TOGETHER, WE ARE WORKING TO DIGITIZE AND CONSERVE THOUSANDS OF PIECES OF CULTURAL PROPERTY, INCLUDING MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND OTHER ARCHIVAL MATERIALS. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO PROVIDE TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT TO THE TEAMS TO ESTABLISH DIGITIZATION LABS AND DOCUMENT INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE, SUCH AS STORIES, SONGS, AND TRADITIONAL PRACTICES.

SUPPORTING THE G20 IN ITS FIGHT AGAINST CULTURAL RACKETEERING:ON OCTOBER 28, WE RELEASED SAFEGUARDING CULTURAL HERITAGE IN CONFLICT ZONES: A ROADMAP FOR THE G20 TO COMBAT THE ILLICIT TRADE IN CULTURAL OBJECTS. THIS EVIDENCED-BASED REPORT, DRAFTED BY LEADING EXPERTS, PUT FORWARD NINE CONCRETE STEPS TO STRENGTHEN GLOBAL POLICY AGAINST THE LOOTING AND TRAFFICKING OF CULTURAL OBJECTSMANY OF WHICH ARE ALREADY BEING IMPLEMENTED. ITS PUBLICATION CAME AS THE G20 BEGAN ITS ANNUAL SUMMIT IN ROME, WHERE FOR THE FIRST TIME, HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT FROM THE TWENTY LARGEST ECONOMIES GATHERED TO CLOSE ART MARKET LOOPHOLES. COMBATTING FINANCIAL CRIMES IN THE ART MARKET:THE ANTIQUITIES COALITION HAS BEEN A KEY VOICE PUSHING FOR MUCH NEEDED CHANGES IN U.S. POLICY TOWARDS THE ART MARKET SINCE 2019, WHEN WE LAUNCHED OUR FINANCIAL CRIMES TASK FORCE, THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THE COUNTRY. THIS MULTI-STAKEHOLDER INITIATIVE HAS DETAILED THREATS FACING THE AMERICAN ART MARKET FROM MONEY LAUNDERING, TERRORIST FINANCING, SANCTIONS VIOLATIONS, AND RELATED CRIMES. IT ALSO DEVELOPED A ROADMAP FOR THE U.S. GOVERNMENT TO ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES, PARTS OF WHICH ARE ALREADY BEING IMPLEMENTED. CLOSING U.S. BORDERS TO ILLICIT ANTIQUITIES:THE UNITED NATIONS HAS LONG RECOGNIZED THAT THE ILLEGAL TRADE IN CULTURAL PROPERTY UNDERMINES "INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY" BY FUNDING CRIME, ARMED CONFLICT, AND TERRORISM. SINCE THE UNITED STATES MAKES UP 42% OF THE GLOBAL ART MARKET, WASHINGTON CAN DEAL AN EFFECTIVE BLOW AGAINST THE OVERALL BLACK MARKET BY CLOSING THE COUNTRY'S BORDERS TO PRODUCTS OF CRIME AND CONFLICT. FROM OUR START, A KEY PRIORITY HAS BEEN SHUTTING U.S. BORDERS TO ILLICIT ANTIQUITIES, WHILE INCREASING RESPONSIBLE CULTURAL EXCHANGE AND STRENGTHENING LEGITIMATE TRADE PRACTICES. WE ARE PROUD TO WORK WITH WASHINGTON AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IN KEEPING STOLEN ART AND ARTIFACTS OUT OF OUR MARKETS. OTHER:TO PROTECT OUR SHARED HERITAGE AND GLOBAL SECURITY, THE ANTIQUITIES COALITION IS LEADING THE INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST CULTURAL RACKETEERING, THE ILLICIT TRADE IN ANCIENT ART AND ARTIFACTS. OUR PROGRAMS CHAMPION BETTER LAW AND POLICY, FOSTER DIPLOMATIC COOPERATION, AND ADVANCE OTHER PROVEN SOLUTIONS WITH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERS.

SAFEGUARDING CULTURAL HERITAGE IN ALGERIA:AT THE HEIGHT OF THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK, WE BEGAN A MULTI-PART, REMOTE PROJECT WITH THE ALGERIAN MINISTRY OF CULTURE. FUNDING FROM THE U.S. EMBASSY IN ALGIERS ALLOWED US TO COMPLETE AN ASSESSMENT OF THE CURRENT STATE OF INVENTORY, DOCUMENTATION, AND DIGITIZATION OF ALGERIA'S CULTURAL HERITAGE COLLECTIONS, WITH A FOCUS ON THE NATIONAL LIBRARY. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TESS DAVIS PREPARED RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW ALGERIAN HERITAGE LAWS CAN BE UPDATED TO IMPROVE PRESERVATION OUTCOMES. IN ADDITION, THE PROJECT TEAM CREATED A PHOTO GUIDE OF ALGERIAN HERITAGE MATERIAL FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT TO RECOGNIZE AND INTERDICT TRAFFICKED HERITAGE MATERIALS.