ICYMI—The AC was proud to join UNODC , UNESCO, Europol, GI-TOC, and Lebanon for a dedicated discussion on cultural property crime at the 15th #UNCrimeCongress in Abu Dhabi. 🌐 Read more: https://theantiquitiescoalition.org/the-uns-new-five-year-agenda-for-cultural-property-crime/

The UN’s New Five-Year Agenda for Cultural Property Crime - Antiquities Coalition

The Abu Dhabi Declaration commits countries to disrupt trafficking networks, prosecute offenders, and strengthen international cooperation. The fight against cultural property crime achieved an important milestone at the 15th United […]

theantiquitiescoalition.org

🏛️ NEXT WEEK Cultural property is on the agenda at the 15th #UNCrimeCongress. The AC will join one of two sessions exploring practical ways to strengthen international cooperation against this crime to strengthen #GlobalSecurity. See the fliers for details!

🏛️ This week, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg announced the return of 15 antiquities valued at nearly $3M to the people of #Greece. Read more: https://ow.ly/51r650ZQzmG

Don’t miss AC Executive Director Tess Davis as she discusses “Restitution Through Diplomacy,” a study of U.S.-Italian cooperation to recover a rare manuscript lost during WWII. 📍In-person/Online 📅September 24, 2026

🚨Project Spotlight: Guardians of the Gods Museum of Stolen Art and Heritage is creating records that can help recover Nepal's displaced cultural heritage https://www.stolenartnepal.org/#top

📅Mark Your Calendar📅 Preparing Museums for a Crisis: Lessons from #Ukraine 📍Thursday, September 17 | 12–1:30 PM EDT 💻 Online event https://www.eventbrite.com/e/preparing-museums-for-a-crisis-lessons-from-ukraine-tickets-1994229251374#location

Preparing Museums for a Crisis: Lessons from Ukraine

A virtual panel talk from international cultural professionals discussing best practices for preserving cultural heritage.

eventbrite.com

⛑️ Syria’s Cultural Heritage Is Vulnerable The full scale of the threat is difficult to assess amid rapid political and security changes. But one thing is clear: demand for looted material endures—and Syria is a target. https://ow.ly/6F1250ZFiPi

Ancient relics in Syria face new dangers after end of civil war

Syria has a rich archaeological heritage full of ancient Roman and Byzantine sites and treasures. Damaged and stolen during a civil war, they now face an increased danger of looting.

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💡NEW from the AC Blog: ICIJ Highlights the Case for Proactive Museum Repatriation Returning looted cultural heritage can advance justice, strengthen international partnerships, and help build a more ethical global museum network. https://ow.ly/pYFn50ZFhMB

In the News: ICIJ Highlights the Case for Proactive Museum Repatriation - Antiquities Coalition

Returning looted cultural heritage can advance justice, strengthen international partnerships, and help build a more ethical global museum network. The Antiquities Coalition was recently featured by the International Consortium of […]

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🧩 What can the “low-end” of the art and antiquities market tell us about combating the illicit trade? More than you think → https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-032-27566-0?page=1#toc

Low-End Markets for Art and Cultural Goods

This open access book helps scholars rethink cultural value by revealing how low-end art markets shape trust, meaning, and value beyond elite systems.

link.springer.com

🏺 A miner's cart of dirt-encrusted antiquities. 💼 A shell company. 🤐 A confession. For Hyperallergic, Erin L. Thompson examines the Aboutaam network—and asks what responsibility museums have to report suspicious objects. https://ow.ly/QGle50ZsoNC

Why Do So Many Museums Hold a Convicted Antiquity Dealer’s Treasures?

After The Met returned a Roman bust connected to Phoenix Ancient Art, the question of what will happen to other works sold by the gallery to dozens of US institutions remains open.

hyperallergic.com

The Financial Times profile of Matthew Bogdanos highlights a simple truth: Accountability isn't anti-market—it's what makes a thriving #ArtMarket possible. A transparent market rewards legitimate buyers, strengthens confidence, and helps honest dealers thrive. https://ow.ly/RGOU50ZsobY

🌏 Country Highlight: India In 2026 alone, the Alvin Bragg's Office has returned 657 stolen antiquities to India—a remarkable success. But the work continues→ 420 antiquities stolen from protected monuments remain missing. Recovery and prevention must go hand in hand. https://ow.ly/Zq8a50ZjGul

Madhya Pradesh tops list of stolen ASI artefacts in 6 decades

NEW DELHI: At least 488 artefacts, mainly sculpture and idols, have been stolen from monuments under the custodianship of the Archeological Survey of India (ASI

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🇺🇸 A Legacy Worth Celebrating 🇺🇸 As America marks its 250th year, we celebrate a tradition of leadership that extends beyond our borders: protecting our shared heritage. The U.S. leads global efforts to keep stop #ArtCrime, protect archaeological sites, and strengthen global security. #America250

Closing U.S. markets to looted and stolen antiquities starts with Cultural Property Agreements. On July 14–16, CPAC will review a new agreement request from #Romania, proposed extensions with #Albania and #Nigeria. https://www.state.gov/cultural-property-advisory-committee-meeting-july-14-16-2026/

TODAY join us for an insider look at 'The Man Who Stole the Gods.' Author Matthew Campbell, the AC's Tess Davis, and CNN's Peter Bergen will expose the one of the largest antiquities trafficking networks in modern history. 📍In-person + Online 🕛12 PM EDT Register now: https://ow.ly/lQiR50Z9VNS

🏆A major victory against #CulturalRacketeering in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Alvin Bragg announced the return of 20 cultural objects, valued over $100,000, to the people of Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, and New Zealand. 🔗The PR: https://ow.ly/qahP50Z7CBn

D.A. Bragg Announces First-Ever Return Of Antiquities To Pacific Island Nations

“I am thrilled that we are able to make these historic returns,” said District Attorney Bragg. “These incredible objects have been in New York illegally for far too long, and I commend our team for their work on this sprawling investigation.”

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🏗️In 2022, a Berlin construction crew revealed a WWII-era cellar filled with thousands of lost treasures. Unpacking Provenance, a Smithsonian NMAA webinar series, will explore the full story June 2, at 11:00 AM CT. Register here! https://ow.ly/66Y650Z1SwO

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Unpacking Provenance | The Fritzsche Gallery. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

In this webinar, an expert panel discusses Berlin’s recently rediscovered Ernst Fritzsche Gallery collection and its importance to the field of provenance. The Fritzsche Gallery was one of the first art dealers specializing in East Asian art and one of the most popular galleries in Berlin’s Tiergarten district during the interwar period. When the Nazi party came into power, the gallery profited greatly from the expulsion and murder of Jewish collectors and dealers by selling their looted collections. The Allied bombing raids of Berlin in 1943 destroyed the gallery, and parts of its...

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NEW from The Atlantic—“How did $65M of allegedly stolen antiquities wind up in two of the world’s greatest museums?” Tracing the journeys of two Egyptian treasures, journalist Ariel Sabar uncovers the dark histories of major museum collections. https://ow.ly/3Bzr50Z1QQL

📅Mark Your Calendar📅 For an exclusive event co-hosted with New America AC Executive Director Tess Davis, Peter Bergen, and Matthew Campbell will discuss 'The Man Who Stole the Gods' in-person/online on June 10, 12 PM EST. Register here: https://lnkd.in/esxUSwaP

Bad Bunny brought Latinx heritage to the 2026 Super Bowl. But his 2021 #MetGala trench echoes another rich culture. This looted Khmer sculpture was pulled from the The Metropolitan Museum of Art and returned home. But many of Cambodia's gods remain missing. #LooksVsLoot https://ow.ly/jazI50YYqPt

One of the “Ten Most Wanted” Antiquities Surfaces After Half a Century—this ancient ceremonial vessel, one of over 120 missing Kolomoki Mound Artifacts from Georgia, has been recovered. Find out more! https://ow.ly/N23050YYs5c

In 2016, Zendaya's retro bob called back to an earlier era of fashion. The ’80s? No—the 800s…B.C. This bronze Priest/King returned to Egypt in 2022 after years in the Met’s collection. Art is in fashion. Is accountability? #LooksvsLoot #MetGala https://ow.ly/Wa9i50YUulU

💅“Fashion is Art.” But is protecting art still in fashion? This #MetGala, #LooksVsLoot returns—pairing red carpet looks with antiquities repatriated from the Met. Behind the glamour are objects tied to plunder, conflict, and organized crime. https://ow.ly/gwhg50YUueE

Tonight, the #MetGala celebrates “Fashion is Art.” But many of the objects behind that inspiration carry histories of armed conflict, racketeering, and organized crime. 🧵 Follow along as we match iconic looks with stolen antiquities returned from the Met.

Art heists are trending. 🖼️Responding to the thefts of Cézanne, Matisse, and Renoir masterpieces, AML experts warn legal gaps expose the U.S.—the world’s largest art market—to money laundering and illicit finance. The FACT Coalition Transparency International U.S. https://ow.ly/r1NI50YRkRv

Heist Highlights Need for US Oversight of Art Market, Anti-Money Laundering Experts Say | Law.com

The U.S. art and antiquities markets, despite being the largest in the world, are largely unprotected from money laundering risks, said financial transparency advocates.

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ICYMI: AC and American Society of International Law unite to raise awareness of cultural property legal frameworks in East Africa ▶️Watch the ASIL webinar here: https://ow.ly/pMW250YLo1O 🗝️Key Takeaways on the AC Blog: https://ow.ly/gbj850YLo1N

Raising Awareness of National Legal Frameworks for Cultural Property Protection in East Africa - Antiquities Coalition

On April 1, the Antiquities Coalition and the American Society of International Law (ASIL) hosted a webinar that convened experts from the Federal Republic of Somalia, Sudan, Mozambique, and Uganda […]

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📣New From the AC Blog: AC Chairman and Founder Deborah Lehr Argues in @thehill.com Successful Peace Settlement for #Ukraine Must Include Cultural Property Check it out! thehill.com/opinion/inte...

ICYMI—2025 @ec.europa.eu report on stolen cultural goods databases and transaction registries. Key takeaways → 🔑Stats from EU law enforcement 🔑Case studies linking cultural goods and money laundering 🔑Analysis of EU monitoring frameworks Read it here: ow.ly/1IZT50XSCGw

Join us next week for "Leveraging the UNCAC to Combat Cultural Racketeering" at #COSP11. 📅 17 December, 5:00 pm (UTC+03:00) 📍 Special Event Room 2 / Online 🔗 Watch here: meet.google.com/dkq-oifc-vkg Featuring experts from the AC, UNODC, GITOC, @dcmsgovuk.bsky.social, #Egypt, and #Italy.

⛑️Sudan’s archeological heritage is in crisis. To track what’s been lost, Shadia Abdrabo is creating an online database of Sudan’s cultural treasures. Learn more: phys.org/news/2025-11...