The 1970 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property gives members the right to recover stolen antiquities - primarily ancient and religious artefacts - which surface in the countries of fellow signatories.
Tessa Blackstone said:
"By signing this agreement, we are sending a strong warning to those who do so much damage to the world's cultural heritage that the UK is serious about joining the international effort to stamp out illicit trade in cultural objects. It will also help us claim back objects unlawfully removed from the UK.
"Acceding to the Convention was recommended by an advisory panel set up by DCMS to look at the extent of such trade. Britain has the second largest art market in the world with the market in antiquities making up a considerable part of it. The panel, led by Professor Norman Palmer, found that the market generally operates in an honourable way but did find evidence of illicit activity. I am therefore pleased that we have now implemented this recommendation."
The report found that the British art market was worth around £4.5 billion in 1999, of which the antiquities market generated £15m. In 1999, some 132 cases were dealt with by London's Interpol Unit and about 30 seizures of cultural goods were made by Customs and Excise.
Items stolen from the UK in the past include the Salisbury Hoard, a unique collection of more than 500 prehistoric artefacts that were stolen in 1985 by treasure hunters from a site near Salisbury. Two thirds of the hoard has been recovered by the British Museum but a third is still dispersed in the trade. Now, if such a hoard were stolen and taken to a country covered by the Convention, the UK could consider putting in a claim for its return.
Professor Palmer welcomed the news. He said:
"I am delighted to learn that the UK has signed up to the UNESCO Convention. This commitment is in full accord with the recommendations of the Advisory Panel on Illicit Trade in its report to Ministers. In acceding to the Convention, the United Kingdom not only signals its commitment to the proper treatment of works of art and antiquities across the world, but joins 91 other nations in this endeavour. The UK's participation will, I believe, be seen as a milestone in the progress of the Convention."
Notes to editors
1. Accession to the1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property was one of the principal recommendations of the
Ministerial Advisory Panel on the Illicit Trade in Cultural Objects (ITAP) (December 2000). This is on the DCMS website along with the ITAP Progress Report for 2001. The Convention was laid before Parliament as a Command Paper with explanatory memorandum this Spring. An Instrument of the Convention has now been deposited with UNESCO in Paris.
2. The UNESCO Convention has as its purpose the prevention of illicit import, export and transfer of ownership of cultural property. It enables members to recover stolen antiquities which surface in the countries of the 91 fellow signatories. The Convention is not retroactive.
3. The Ministerial Advisory Panel was set up in the Spring of 1999 to advise the Government on, first, the extent of the illicit international trade in art and antiquities and the extent to which the UK was involved in it and, secondly, how most effectively the UK could play its part in preventing and prohibiting the illicit trade. The Panel had a distinguished membership drawn from the worlds of archaeology, museums and the trade.
