Emergency Red List of Egyptian Cultural Objects at Risk - The ...

Press release
Contact
R E D L I S T O F
EGYPTIAN
CULTURAL
OBJECTS AT RISK
France DESMARAIS / france.desmarais@icom.museum
Tel: +33 (0)1 47 34 91 67 / Fax: +33 (0)1 43 06 78 62

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Table of contents
Press release
Egypt’s cultural heritage
The Emergency Red List
of Egyptian Cultural Objects At Risk
Making of
ICOM’s fight against illicit traffic in cultural goods
International conventions
National and international cooperation
ICOM’s tools in the
fight against illicit traffic in cultural goods
One Hundred Missing Objects
The Object ID Standard
The Red Lists
The Art and Cultural Heritage Mediation programme
The International Council of Museums
p. 2
p. 4
p. 5
p. 7
p. 9
p. 12

« The Red Lists help
identify the types
of objects that are
most sisceptible to
illicit trafficking and
therefore subject
to smuggling and
illicit trade »
« This ICOM
initiative was
conducted with
the participation
of national and
international
experts »
Press release
Paris, 6 February 2012
One year on from the events that took place in Egypt in 2011, ICOM’s
actions to protect the country’s cultural heritage from the ensuing thefts
of non-inventoried objects from archaeological sites and museums have
led to the publication of the Emergency Red List of Egyptian Cultural
Objects at Risk.
ICOM publishes a new Emergency Red List: the Emergency Red List of
Egyptian Cultural Objects at Risk
The International Council of Museums (ICOM) announces the official
launch, at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation in Cairo (NMEC),
on 6 February 2012 at 10 a.m., of a new Emergency Red List: the Emergency
Red List of Egyptian Cultural Objects at Risk. ICOM Director General, Julien
Anfruns, officially presented the Emergency Red List, on this occasion, in
the presence of the Director of the NMEC, Dr Mohammed Abdel Fatah.
Following the presentation, Julien Anfruns had an official meeting with
the Minister of State for Antiquities, Pr Mohammed Ibrahim Ali.
The ICOM Red Lists are important, effective tools designed to help police
and customs officials, heritage professionals and art and antiquities
dealers identify the types of objects that are most susceptible to illicit
trafficking and therefore subject to smuggling and illicit trade. Following
this important event, a seminar on illicit traffic and Red Lists will take
place on 7 February 2012 at 9 a.m., also at the NMEC.
The Emergency Red List of Egyptian Cultural Objects at Risk was made
possible thanks to the generous support of the U.S. Department of State’s
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
This ICOM initiative was conducted in cooperation with its International
Committee for Egyptology (CIPEG), and with the participation of national
and international experts in archaeology and history and the Ministry of
Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt. It aims to raise awareness among
the local population, law enforcement officials and the international art
and antiquities market.
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« Any cultural
object that could
have originated
in Egypt should
be subjected to
detailed scrutiny
and precautionary
measures »
The Emergency Red List of Egyptian Cultural Objects at Risk presents
categories of objects spanning from the Predynastic, Pharaonic and
Nubian era to Greco-Roman and Coptic Egypt, as well as from the Islamic
Period.
The Emergency Red List aims to help art and heritage collectors,
professionals and customs and police officials identify Egyptian objects
that are protected by national legislation. Museums, auction houses,
art dealers and collectors are encouraged not to acquire these objects
without having carefully and thoroughly researched their origin and all
the relevant national and international legal documentation.
« This Emergency Red List will concretely assist all those, inside and
outside of Egypt, concerned by an involvement in the protection of
Egyptian cultural heritage, by further preventing and reducing the illicit
trade and export of the country’s cultural objects », Julien Anfruns said,
when presenting the Egyptian Red List in Cairo.
Due to the great diversity of objects, styles and periods, the Emergency
Red List of Egyptian Cultural Objects at Risk is far from exhaustive. Any
cultural object that could have originated in Egypt should be subjected to
detailed scrutiny and precautionary measures.
The fight against illicit traffic in cultural goods requires the enhancement
of both legal and practical instruments that will disseminate information
and raise public awareness. By launching this new Emergency Red List,
ICOM is reiterating its firm commitment to the protection of cultural
heritage, specifically in post-crisis situations.
This Red List was developed with the support of :
U.S. Department of State
Bureau of Educational
and Cultural Affairs

« Illegal
excavations
and theft have
disastrous
consequences for
scientific research »
« Since 1869, Egypt
has developed the
legal framework for
the protection of its
cultural heritage »
Egypt’s cultural heritage
Egypt is home to an invaluable, world-renowned, diverse cultural heritage
that stands as a living testimony to humanity’s artistic and scientific
evolution. Protecting cultural goods from disappearing is of the greatest
importance and is particularly true when faced with the irreparable
damage that illicit trafficking in cultural objects can cause.
Vulnerable Egyptian artefacts vary from those relating to daily life to those
of a religious or ceremonial nature. They could have been stolen from
archaeological sites and, at certain specific times, taken from institutions
housing them. The most sought-after artefacts are from the Predynastic,
Pharaonic and Nubian era, as well as Graeco-Roman, Coptic and Islamic
periods.
Egypt recognises that the illicit excavation of archaeological sites and
theft from collections, damages the connection between an object and
its context. In turn, this prevents accurate identification and diminishes an
object’s cultural and historical significance. The resulting gaps impoverish
the understanding of the country’s and the world’s history.
Since 1869, Egypt has developed the legal framework for the protection
of its cultural heritage and multiplied efforts to counter their illegal trade.
The national legal tools have greatly evolved, thus proving the country’s
unwavering commitment towards the protection of its history and the
importance it bestows on conserving its heritage.
Despite these efforts, Egypt’s cultural goods remain subject to illicit
trafficking. Theft, looting and illegal trade and export are constant threats
to the preservation of national heritage. Fighting the illicit trafficking of
cultural goods is everyone’s responsibility in preserving the invaluable
witnesses of Egypt’s and humankind’s evolution, history and artistic
expression.
With the publication of the Emergency Red List of Egyptian Cultural Objects
at Risk, and its worldwide distribution to police and customs officers, as
well as heritage professionals, the International Council of Museums
(ICOM) actively contributes to international efforts in the prevention and
the fight against illicit traffic in cultural goods.
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Making of
« Investigative
work led to the
identification of
perpetrated thefts
and an assessment
of the state of the
country’s main
archaeological
sitesb»
« The choice
was made for
vulnerable
artefacts in the
List to vary from
those pertaining
to daily life to
those of a religious
or ceremonial
natureb»
Emergency Red List of Egyptian
Cultural Objects at risk
Following the events that took place in Egypt on January 2011, ICOM
quickly mobilised its resources in an effort to protect the country’s
cultural heritage. In an emergency, obtaining reliable information is of the
utmost necessity, but, in certain cases, it also presents one of the greatest
challenges. Thefts of non-inventoried objects from archaeological sites and
cultural heritage institutions may become widespread in the aftermath of
such situations, contributing to the smuggling and the illicit trading in art
and antiquities.
ICOM Secretariat, ICOM’s Disaster Relief Task Force (DRTF) and ICOM’s
International Committee for Egyptology (CIPEG), in cooperation with
the Ministry of Antiquities, pooled their resources in order to analyse
as accurately as possible the situation and risks that both the Egyptian
heritage and the country’s museums and sites faced.
Investigative work led to the identification of perpetrated thefts and
an assessment of the state of the country’s main archaeological sites.
The outcome of these monitoring efforts enabled ICOM to respond to
the needs of the international community while conducting an on-site
evaluation mission in April 2011.
Following several exchanges with the Egyptian authorities, experts on
the country’s heritage and members of CIPEG, ICOM Secretariat decided
to launch the publication of a new Red List: the Emergency Red List of
Egyptian Cultural Objects at Risk.
In order to make the List as pertinent as possible, ICOM and its experts
also closely monitored and analysed the underlying trends in the Egyptian
objects’ black market. The choice was then made for vulnerable artefacts
included in the List to vary from those pertaining to daily life to those of a
religious or ceremonial nature.
This project was developed and coordinated by ICOM’s Programmes
Department and benefited from the close collaboration of: ICOM CIPEG
members, Egypt’s national museums, and of the Ministry of Antiquities of
the Arab Republic of Egypt. The Red List was made possible thanks to the
generous support of the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational
and Cultural Affairs. ICOM is also thankful for Dr. Regine Schulz, Dr. Salima
Ikram and Dr. Ossama Abdel Meguid’s unwavering commitment towards
the success of this project. As members of the Editorial Committee they
played an essential role in the completion of the Red List.

« The Emergency
Red List of Egyptian
Cultural Objects
at Risk will be
available in four
languages »
« 10,000 printed
copies are being
distributed around
the world »
« The Emergency
Red List of Egyptian
Cultural Objects
at Risk can be
downloaded free
of charge from
ICOM’s website »
Experts who contributed to the List are (in alphabetical order):
Mohamed Abass Selim, General Director, Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo;
Claire Derriks, Curator, Egyptian and Middle-East Collections, Musée
Royal de Mariemont in Morlanwelz, Chair of ICOM CIPEG;
Tarek El Awady, Director, Egyptian Museum in Cairo;
Yasmin El Shazly, Head of Documentation, Egyptian Museum in Cairo;
Gawdat Gabra, visiting lecturer, School of Religion of Claremont Graduate
University in Claremont;
Salima Ikram, Professor of the Egyptology and Chair SAPE, American
University in Cairo, Member of ICOM CIPEG;
Mary Kupelian, Lecturer, Helwan University in Cairo;
Ossama Abdel Meguid, Director General, Nubian Antiquities Salvage
Fund in Cairo, member of ICOM Executive Council and of ICOM CIPEG;
Iris Mesko, Integrated expert, Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo;
Ahmed Mostaf Osman, Director, Department of Repatriation of Antiquities
at the Ministry of Antiquities in Cairo;
Gabriele Pieke, Curator, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin - Preußischer
Kulturbesitz in Berlin, Secretary of ICOM CIPEG;
Regine Schulz, Director and CEO, Roemer- und Pelizaeus-Museum in
Hildesheim, member of ICOM Executive Council and of ICOM CIPEG;
Mervat Seif El-Din, Director of scientific research, Graeco-Roman Museum
in Alexandria;
Abdel Ghaffar Shedid, Lecturer, Institute for Egyptology of the Ludwig-
Maximilians Universität München in Munich;
ICOM wishes to thank all the institutions and people who so generously
provided the photographs presented in the Emergency Red List for Egypt:
_Coptic Museum, Cairo
_Gayer-Anderson (Beit el-Kritlaya) Museum, Cairo
_Graeco-Roman Museum, Alexandria
_Mummification Museum, Luxor
_Nubian Museum, Aswan
_Roemer- und Pelizaeus-Museum, Hildesheim
_Royal Museum of Art and History, Brussels
_The Egyptian Museum, Cairo
_The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore
_Musée Royal de Mariemont, Morlanwelz
_Museo Arqueologico Nacional, Madrid
_Museu Nacional de Arquelogia, Lisbon
_Museum of Islamic Art, Cairo
The Emergency Red List of Egyptian Cultural Objects at Risk will be
available in four languages. 10,000 printed copies are being distributed
to police and customs officials from around the world, as well as heritage
professionals, art and antiquities dealers, and other concerned bodies.
The Emergency Red List of Egyptian Cultural Objects at Risk can be
downloaded free of charge from ICOM’s website, and a complete on-line
database dedicated to the Red Lists can also be accessed, at the following
address:
http://icom.museum/what-we-do/resources/red-lists-database.html
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The fight against
illicit traffic
« The fight against
illicit traffic in
cultural goods is at
the core of ICOM’s
public service
mission »
Conventions
and cooperation
« ICOM actively
encourages the
enhancement
and development
of appropriate
legislation
protecting cultural
artefacts »
ICOM’s fight against illicit traffic
The fight against illicit traffic in cultural goods is at the core of ICOM’s
public service mission and considered as one of its greatest priority.
ICOM’s actions in the field include the publication and dissemination of a
wide range of practical effective tools.
Furthermore, ICOM has developed an important collaborative network of
national and international experts and professionals, all dedicated to the
protection and promotion of cultural heritage. This network supports and
strengthens the global fight against smuggling and illicit trading of cultural
objects in various countries.
IMPORTANT NOTE: ICOM wishes to underline that national authorities
are the only bodies authorized to deliver permits for the export or import
of cultural goods. Neither ICOM nor its international partners issue such
certificates or permissions, though documents bearing the name and logo
of ICOM are regularly intercepted by police and custom’s officials.
International conventions
As an advisor to UNESCO and UNIDROIT, ICOM took part in the
development of two international conventions that play a crucial role in
protecting cultural heritage against illicit traffic:
- 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing
the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property:
Countries adopting the Convention commit to preventing the purchase of
illegally exported cultural goods, prohibiting the import of those stolen
from a museum or public institution and seizing and returning stolen or
illicitly imported cultural goods upon official request by the country of
origin.
- 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural
Objects: Places the responsibility on buyers to ensure that the object they
are acquiring has reached the market through legal means.
ICOM actively encourages the ratification of these two conventions as well
as the enhancement and development of appropriate national legislation
protecting a country’s cultural artefacts.

« ICOM is a
member of the
expert network
of international
organisations
recognised by the
United Nations in
the fight against
illicit traffic in
cultural goods »
« ICOM works
closely with
several national
law enforcement
agencies »
National and international cooperation
ICOM is a member of the expert network of international organisations
recognised by the United Nations in the fight against illicit traffic in cultural
goods; and is the only heritage body in that group. The five other members
of this network are: UNESCO, UNIDROIT, INTERPOL, WCO (World Customs
Organisation) and UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime).
ICOM also holds an advisory status at the United Nations Economic and
Social Council (ECOSOC), and works closely with several national law
enforcement agencies such as:
- FBI Art Theft Program and the Department of Homeland Security, United
States
- Arma dei Carabinieri, Italy
- Federal Office of Police (FedPol), Switzerland
- Central Office for the fight against traffic in cultural goods (OCBC), France
- Scotland Yard Metropolitan Police - Art and Antiquities Unit, United
Kingdom
- Direction of the Fight against crime against goods (DJB) of the Federal
Police, Belgium
In 2000, ICOM and the WCO signed an Official Cooperation Agreement
with INTERPOL.
The work of ICOM in the fight against illicit traffic benefits from the US
Department of State and the Swiss Federal Office for Culture’s strong
support, namely through its Red List programme.
Reinforcing their commitment towards the protection of cultural
heritage, ICOM and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
recently signed a memorandum of understanding and established the Art
and Cultural Heritage Mediation programme. The programme proposes
professional mediation procedures for the settlement of cultural property
disputes.
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« The One
Hundred Missing
Objects have
been successful at
recovering stolen
objects »
« The Object ID
Standard is an
efficient tool used
to clearly describe
and inventory
archaeological,
artistic and cultural
objects in order
to facilitate their
identification in
case of theft »
ICOM’s tools in the fight against illicit traffic
One Hundred Missing Objects
The One Hundred Missing Objects series presents cultural goods that
have been stolen and whose disappearance has been reported to the
police. All of the artefacts included in the publication are registered in the
INTERPOL database.
The series include the following publications:
- Looting in Angkor (1993, 2nd edition in 1997)
- Looting in Africa (1994, 2nd edition in 1997)
- Looting in Latin America (1997)
- Looting in Europe (2001)
The One Hundred Missing Objects have been successful at recovering
stolen objects and can be directly credited for the return of over fifty
objects.
The Object ID Standard
The international standard for Object Identification (Object ID), launched
in 1997 by the Getty Foundation, is an efficient tool used to clearly
describe and inventory archaeological, artistic and cultural objects in
order to facilitate their identification in case of theft. ICOM has held the
world-wide licence to translate, distribute and promote the use of this
norm among museum professionals and other concerned parties since
2004.
This international norm is intended to standardise the recording of an
object’s data. Most importantly, the standard is compatible with the norms
of INTERPOL’s database, making it easier and quicker to disseminate the
information to the world should an object be reported missing.
ICOM proposes capacity building activities for museum and heritage
professionals, government representatives, as well as police and customs
agents, on the use of the Object ID Standard and its function in the
protection of collections.

« The number of
published Red
Lists has greatly
increased in the
past two years,
reflecting ICOM’s
commitment
towards preventing
illicit traffic in
cultural goods »
« ICOM’s Red Lists
have been credited
for numerous
successful
operations by
police and customs
officials »
The Red Lists
ICOM’s Red Lists are recognised effective and practical tools that help
heritage professionals, art and antiquities dealers, and most importantly,
police and custom officials identify objects protected by national
legislation that may have been smuggled or illicitly traded.
The number of published Red Lists has greatly increased in the past two
years, reflecting ICOM’s commitment towards preventing illicit traffic in
cultural goods. ICOM has received requests for the drafting of Red Lists
from several countries and regions and is currently preparing several new
publications.
The Emergency Red List of Egyptian Cultural Objects at Risk is ICOM’s
eleventh Red List in total, and its third Emergency Red List. Previous Red
List publications are as follows:
- Red List of African Archaeological Objects, 2000
- Red List of Latin-American Cultural Objects at Risk, 2003
- Emergency Red List of Iraqi Antiquities at Risk, 2003
- Red List of Afghanistan Antiquities at Risk, 2006
- Red List of Peruvian Antiquities at Risk, 2007
- Red List of Cambodian Antiquities at Risk, 2009
- Red List of Endangered Cultural Objects of Central America and Mexico,
2009
- Emergency Red List of Haitian Cultural Objects at Risk, 2010
- Red List of Chinese Cultural Objects at Risk, 2010
- Red List of Colombian Cultural Objects at Risk, 2010
ICOM is at the moment drafting the Red List of Dominican Cultural Objects
at Risk and the Red List of West African Cultural Objects at Risk.
Red Lists success stories
ICOM’s Red Lists have been credited for numerous successful operations
by police and customs officials in identifying and seizing cultural goods,
the following are but a few chosen examples:
The National Museum of Afghanistan recognises that the Red List of
Afghanistan Antiquities at Risk allowed for the return of 8,000 objects
from all over the world in the past four years. Specifically, between 2007
and 2009, and thanks to the Red List, English customs officials at Heathrow
Airport were able to intercept, confiscate and return 3.4 tons of stolen
objects, representing over 1,500 items.
In 2008, thanks to the Emergency Red List of Iraqi Antiquities at Risk, a
cuneiform tablet was identified on the Swiss eBay website. The Swiss
authorities were informed and e-Bay was able to stop the auction just
before the sale was concluded.
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« The ICOM-
WIPO Mediation
procedure is open
to all, including
non-ICOM
members »
On March 2006, the Red List of African Archaeological Objects allowed for
the return of over 6,000 artefacts stolen from archaeological sites in Niger
and seized by French customs’ officials in 2004 and 2005.
Also in 2006, French customs’ officials seized crates from Togo containing
Nigerian artefacts. One of them was revealed to be a genuine Nok
statuette.
On January of that same year, an Iraqi foundation nail was identified during
an auction in Paris, thanks to the Emergency Red List of Iraqi Antiquities
at Risk. An investigation was launched by the police department of Paris
after the Iraqi permanent delegation at UNESCO made a formal request.
Art and Cultural Heritage Mediation programme
The current increase in ownership disputes and restitution claims
requires finding solutions other than litigation. ICOM’s dedication to the
fight against illicit traffic in cultural goods has led it to act in the process
of return of cultural assets, becoming highly involved in promoting the
restitution of illicitly acquired cultural property. ICOM had demonstrated
its skills in this issue with the successful donation of the Makondé Mask
to Tanzania by the Barbier-Mueller Museum on May 2010.
The Art and Cultural Heritage Mediation programme was launched as the
result of cooperation between ICOM and WIPO. This fruitful collaboration
resulted in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding and official
launch of the Mediation programme in May 2011.
Mediation is a voluntary procedure designed to satisfy the long felt
need for a specialized alternative dispute resolution. The ICOM-WIPO
Mediation procedure is open to all, including non-ICOM members. Those
who request mediation from the ICOM-WIPO Mediation rules benefit
from the special joint List of Mediators selected for their skills and their
mediation expertise in the art and cultural heritage field.
Mediation has several distinctive characteristics and advantages, and is
able to overcome the statute of limitations. It takes into account customary
laws for claims such as misuse of traditional cultural expressions.
Mediation under the ICOM-WIPO Mediation rules is a guarantee of respect
for impartiality and independence and of the high ethical standards
embodied in the ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums. The programme
responds to the needs of the world museum community and complements
ICOM’s actions in the area of illicit traffic, offering an accessible solution.

« ICOM is
committed to
promoting and
protecting the
world’s natural and
cultural heritage,
present and future,
tangible and
intangible »
The International Council of Museums
The International Council of Museums (ICOM) is the main international
organisation of museums and museum professionals committed to
promoting and protecting the world’s natural and cultural heritage,
present and future, tangible and intangible.
With almost 30,000 members in 137 countries, ICOM is an international
professional organisation active in a wide range of museological and
heritage-related disciplines. Through its numerous concrete programmes,
ICOM is among the few global organisations that are able to quickly and
efficiently mobilise experts in cultural heritage worldwide.
Created in 1946, ICOM maintains formal relations with UNESCO and has a
consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.
ICOM maintains at the core of its public service missions the fight against
illicit traffic in cultural goods and emergency preparedness and response
for museums in case of natural or human-made disasters.
With its Code of Ethics, ICOM has created a reference tool that sets
standards of excellence to which all institutions in the organisation
must adhere to. The ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums, translated into
36 languages, establishes values and principles shared by ICOM and the
international museum community. These standards evolve in accordance
with the changing world in which museums exist.
Supporting the fight against illicit traffic in cultural goods is among ICOM’s
highest priorities. The Red Lists have been designed to raise awareness on
the smuggling and illicit trade of cultural objects from certain countries
or regions of the world, thus aiding in protecting these countries’ cultural
and historical heritage.
For any matter regarding ICOM or for an interview with M. Julien Anfruns, Director
General of ICOM, please contact:
Aurélie AUBOURG: aurelie.aubourg@icom.museum / Tel: +33 (0)1 47 34 91 63
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