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Department for Culture Media and Sport

illicit trade in cultural property

This is accomplished through a package of preventative measures, which includes:

• UNESCO Convention
  We are signatories to UNESCO’s “Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property”.
  
  This makes aims to secure the protection of cultural heritage of other signatory countries, assisting them in the recovery of illegally removed cultural property.
  
• Dealing in Cultural Objects (Offences) Act 2003
  
  This is designed to criminalize anyone dealing dishonestly in unlawfully removed cultural objects from anywhere in the world.  It is widely supported across political parties and across the UK art trade and heritage community.
  

Useful publications

• Combating Illicit Trade: Due diligence guidelines for museums, libraries and archives on collecting and borrowing cultural material (PDF 329kb)
  
• The 1970 UNESCO Convention covers Guidance for Dealers and Auctioneers in Cultural Property (PDF 70kb)
  

Dealing in Cultural Objects (offences) Act 2003:

• Dealing in cultural objects (offences) Act 2003 (PDF 84kb)
• Dealing in cultural objects (offences) Act 2003 - Explanatory Notes (PDF 65kb)
• Dealing in tainted cultural objects - Guidance (PDF 75kb)

Select committee for culture, media and sport - cultural objects:

• Select committee for culture, media and sport - cultural objects: developments since 2000 - (published on 16 December 2003)
  
• Government's response to the report of the select committee for culture, media and sport -cultural objects: developments since 2000

Further information on the illicit trade in cultural property can be found on the Cultural Property Advice website.

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