Posted on: September 1, 2015 by Ruth Redmond-Cooper
It has been brought to our attention that during the next plenary session of the European Parliament (7-8 September 2015), there will be a presentation and vote on the own-initiative report ‘Towards an integrated approach to cultural heritage for Europe‘ led by the Committee on Culture and Education. We will be providing an overview and […]
Posted on: January 14, 2015 by Nina M. Neuhaus
On 17 December 2014, the Swiss Federal Council extended the existing sanctions against Syria by introducing a trade ban on cultural objects which were stolen or illegally exported from Syria. The EU had introduced a similar trade ban on 13 December 2013. According to Article 11c, which was inserted by the EU Council Regulation No 1332/2013 […]
Posted on: November 19, 2014 by Alexander Herman
The US Congress will soon be entertaining a Bill, proposed last Thursday, that seeks to offer protection for endangered Syrian cultural objects and that would set up a Coordinator for International Cultural Property Protection (what American cultural heritage lawyer Rick St. Hilaire calls a cultural property protection “czar”). These are of course welcome developments. The protection […]
Posted on: August 19, 2014 by Nina M. Neuhaus
Switzerland aims to contribute to the preservation of the cultural heritage of mankind by means of the Cultural Property Transfer Act (‘CPTA‘), which implements the 1970 UNESCO Convention into national law. According to art. 14 CPTA, the Specialized Body for the International Transfer of Cultural Property at the Swiss Federal Office of Culture (‘Specialized Body‘) […]
Posted on: August 14, 2014 by Paul Stevenson
As further proof of its moniker the “treasure coast”, Reuters reports the recovery of a three centuries’ old treasure off the east coast of Florida. This is the most recent publicised discovery from the wreck site of the so-called “1715 fleet”, a convoy of approximately a dozen vessels (of which one apparently survived) which sank […]
Posted on: July 17, 2014 by Nina M. Neuhaus
The Federal Act on the International Transfer of Cultural Property (Cultural Property Transfer Act, ‘CPTA’), which came into force on June 1st, 2005 and implemented the 1970 UNESCO Convention into Swiss law, aims at enhancing the protection of Swiss cultural heritage. Art. 3(1) CPTA calls for the establishment of a Federal Registry listing “cultural property […]
Posted on: December 31, 2013 by Cristina del Rivero
The insinuations of wrongdoing are evident in the very first line of the Los Angeles Times’ article as reporter Jason Felch (presumably intentionally) refers to Cornell University “preparing to forfeit” to Iraq thousands of ancient cuneiform tablets. The clay blocks depicting scenes of daily life and the previously unknown high status of women in society […]