International Alerts - Stolen Artefacts
(in chronological order)
Chile
The Permanent Delegation of Chile alerted UNESCO to the theft of cultural properties – Latest alert: June 2022
El Salvador
The Republic of Salvador has alerted UNESCO about the theft of cultural property – Latest alert: April 2021
Mexico
The Permanent Delegation of Mexico alerted UNESCO to the theft of cultural properties – Latest alert: January 2020
Guatemala
The Illicit Traffic Unit of the Ministry of Culture of Guatemala alerted UNESCO of a number of thefts of cultural property - Latest alert: December 2019
Ecuador
The Permanent Delegation of Ecuador alerted UNESCO to the theft of cultural properties – Latest alert: September 2019
Greece
The Ministry of Culture and Sports of Greece alerted UNESCO of a number of thefts of cultural property - Latest alert: December 2018
Peru
The Ministry of Culture of Peru alerted UNESCO to a number of thefts of cultural property - Latest alert: June 2017
Burkina Faso
Theft of a statue at Pobe Mengao from the National Museum of Burkina Faso – May 2017
Bolivia
The Permanent Delegation of Bolivia alerted UNESCO to a number of thefts of cultural property that occurred in September 2015
France
The Permanent Delegation of France alerted UNESCO to the theft of cultural property – Latest alert: August 2015
Checklist of actions in the event of cultural theft
Following a theft incident, the first thing to do is call the law-enforcement officials and submit to them any information that they may need. Following the crime-scene procedures, the central or responsible authority should inform the National Bureau of INTERPOL of the theft so that they can register the stolen object(s) on the INTERPOL Stolen Works of Art Database.
There are several channels for cooperation concerning the return of an object that is illicitly trafficked, such as: administrative/informal assistance, mutual legal assistance, negotiation, Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in case of Illicit Appropriation (ICPRCP), legal action.
The Checklist has been adopted during the Eight Session of the Subsidiary Committee of the Meeting of States Parties to the UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (UNESCO, Paris, 1970) C70/20/8.SC/10.
The checklist is composed of three parts: Before Theft (Precaution Checklist), After Theft and After Locating the Object (abroad).
Databases
International Organizations Databases
- UNESCO: Database of National Cultural Heritage Laws
- INTERPOL: Stolen Works of Art Databse
- UNODC: Sharing Electronic Resources and Laws on Crime (SHERLOC)
- ICOM: Red Lists Database
National Databases
- France: TREIMA Database of the Office Central de lutte contre le trafic des Biens Culturels (OCBC)
- Germany: Lost Art Database
- Italy: Carabinieri National Stolen Cultural Property Database
- Jordan: MEGA-Jordan - A State-of-the-Art System for Jordan’s Archaeological Sites
- Spain: Stolen works of art Database of the Guardia Civil
- United States of America: National Stolen Art File (NSAF) in the FBI's database