More on the French President's Cultural Preservation Fund

As François Hollande addressed a crowd gathered at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) two weeks ago, CHL tweeted about the French president's intention to create a fund to protect cultural heritage. What do we know about this proposed fund?

“We want to create a fund, a global fund to support the safeguarding of cultural heritage with the ambition to raise $100 million,” explained Hollande. “This fund will finance the rescue of works and monuments to ensure the restoration and reconstruction of places of our collective memory and train specialists, archaeologists, curators, historians, so that we may always keep a trace of heritage.”

Vice President Joe Biden (r) introduces
President François Hollande (l) at The Met.

Hollande first announced the creation of a fund in November 2015 when he addressed the general conference of UNESCO. He told the international body, “But we also need to involve private partners to ensure that public resources are not the only ones that can be requested. I propose that there may be a single international structure, clearly identified that can gather donations and funding, and establish an international endowment fund dedicated to endangered cultural property.”

In his recent visit to The Met, President Hollande reflected that the idea for the fund actually originated in Japan this past May when he was with President Barack Obama at the G7 summit. Hollande’s remarks followed an introduction made by Vice President Joe Biden. 

[Sidebar:  When the G7 met, it published an Action Plan on Countering Terrorism and ViolentExtremism, calling on nations “to enhance efforts to hinder looting and trafficking of cultural property originating from regions under the control of terrorist groups.”]

Biden's surprise appearance at The Met generally touted White House efforts to preserve cultural heritage. He described ISIS's sale of artifacts to fund terrorism while simultaneously attacking cultural diversity in the Middle East, which the vice president called an affront to the people of the region. Biden asserted that trafficking laws targeting antiquities are rigorously enforced.

Hollande’s proposed cultural preservation fund is expected to be ajoint project between France and the United Arab Emirates, which is why H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs, was on hand for Hollande’s pronouncement. The pair are expected to lead a conference on cultural heritage protection at the Louvre Abu Dhabi in December.

Text and original photos copyrighted by Cultural Heritage Lawyer, a blog commenting on matters of cultural property law, art law, cultural heritage policy, antiquities trafficking, and museum risk management. Blog url: culturalheritagelawyer.blogspot.com. Any unauthorized reproduction or retransmission of any blog post without the express written consent of CHL is prohibited. CHL is a service of Red Arch Cultural Heritage Law & Policy Research, Inc.

ICC Sentences War Criminal to Prison for Destroying Timbuktu Heritage [VIDEO]

In a landmark decision, today the International Criminal Court (ICC) handed down a nine year prison sentence in the matter of The Prosecutor v. Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi, the first war crimes case specifically focused on the destruction of cultural and religious heritage.

Presiding Judge Raul Pangalangan, a Harvard educated jurist from the Philippines, incarcerated Mahdi for intentionally directing attacks against ten buildings of a historical or religious character in Timbuktu, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Mahdi is a native of the West African nation of Mali who joined Ansar Dine, an al-Qaeda allied group, in April 2012. On June 30 and July 11, 2012, Mahdi ordered the destruction of nine mausoleums and the Sidi Yahia Mosque. Prosecutors named the defendant as head of the Hisbah, a vice squad established to uphold public morality.

The ICC issued a warrant for Mahdi's arrest in 2015. After prosecutors and the defendant reached a plea deal in February 2016, the ICC received Mahdi's admission of guilt and reviewed the prosecution's evidence at a trial held last month. Mahdi faced a war crimes charge under Article 25 of the Rome Statute.

Video of today's groundbreaking hearing is presented in its entirety, courtesy of the ICC.

Text and original photos copyrighted by Cultural Heritage Lawyer, a blog commenting on matters of cultural property law, art law, cultural heritage policy, antiquities trafficking, and museum risk management. Blog url: culturalheritagelawyer.blogspot.com. Any unauthorized reproduction or retransmission of any blog post without the express written consent of CHL is prohibited. CHL is a service of Red Arch Cultural Heritage Law & Policy Research, Inc.

Protecting Cultural Heritage by Revising the Customs Entry Form

Customs Entry Form 6059B

When people become aware of the rampant looting, smuggling, and destruction of cultural property, they show concern about preserving humanity's shared cultural heritage. And when U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers are able to identify specific cultural objects imported into America, they are better positioned to interdict at-risk archaeological, ethnological, religious, and other cultural heritage material at the border.

It is for these reasons that the Customs Entry Form should be revised slightly.

Those who have flown back home from a trip overseas undoubtedly have spotted a flight attendant strolling down the aircraft aisle handing out the ubiquitous blue paper known as Form 6059B, the double-sided document used by travelers to declare goods that they are bringing into the United States.

By checking off the simple “Yes” or “No” boxes found at question #11, travelers easily notify CPB upon their arrival whether they have:

• fruits, vegetables, plants, seeds, food, insects;
• meats, animals, animal/wildlife products;
• disease agents, cell cultures, snails;
• soil or have been on a farm/ranch/pasture.

But, surprisingly, the Entry Form does not include an interrogatory that covers regulated cultural heritage goods. There is no “Yes” or “No” box for travelers to check when carrying an ancient Greek vase, Roman coin, Maya wall art, Byzantine mosaic panel, Tellem textile, Khmer statue, Tyrannosaurus bataar fossil, or the like. That is why a new line under #11 should be added on the Customs Entry Form to say:

I am (We are) bringing...

antiquities/antiques, archaeological material/artifacts, ancient coins, tribal objects, fossils
Yes __  No __

This new Q and A would alert travelers about the existence of regulations that govern imported cultural goods. Such laws include the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act; the Pre-Columbian Monumental or Architectural Sculpture or Murals Act; the Protect and Preserve International Cultural Property Act; the National Stolen Property Act; and many more.

A person checking the "Yes" box would prompt CBP officers to inquire further about whether a particular cultural heritage object could be imported legally or whether its entry was subject to restriction. A false "No" response might trigger CBP to contact Homeland Security Investigations to examine if someone was knowingly concealing an illegal import.

In addition to the questions found under #11, the Customs Entry Form currently directs travelers to “[d]eclare all articles on this declaration form and show the value in U.S. dollars.” It cautions them about bringing potentially prohibited objects into America like agricultural and wildlife products, controlled substances, obscene articles, toxic substances, and merchandise that infringes intellectual property rights. "Failure to declare such items ... can result in penalties and the items may be subject to seizure," Form 6059B warns. By adding specific language about legally protected cultural property to this part of the Form, travelers would be alerted further about their duty to declare a variety of protected cultural heritage objects.

Retired customs officer Domenic DiGiovanni, who worked extensively with cultural heritage material when he was with CBP, tweeted that these changes to the Form would be a "great idea" because customs officers would ask follow-up questions in person that "could elicit a behavioral response" from the traveler, which in turn could "lead to more questions."

There is plenty of space remaining on Form 6059B to improve the paperwork, and the small changes would go a long way toward protecting cultural heritage.

Text and original photos copyrighted by Cultural Heritage Lawyer, a blog commenting on matters of cultural property law, art law, cultural heritage policy, antiquities trafficking, and museum risk management. Blog url: culturalheritagelawyer.blogspot.com. Any unauthorized reproduction or retransmission of any blog post without the express written consent of CHL is prohibited. CHL is a service of Red Arch Cultural Heritage Law & Policy Research, Inc.

One Side of the Coin: ACCG Re-Argues Previously Decided Legal Issues in Baltimore Test Case

Some of the ancient coins in dispute in U.S. v. 3 Knife-Shaped Coins.

Court decisions in 2014 and 2015 rejected the Ancient Coin Collectors Guild’s (ACCG) demand to revisit legal issues already quashed by the courts in the forfeiture case of U.S. v. Three Knife-Shaped Coins Et al. and the related case of Ancient Coin Collectors Guild v. U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Department of State; Assistant Secretary of State, Educational and Cultural Affairs. Nevertheless, the Guild continues to re-argue the same issues.

The litigation stems from the ACCG’s aim to strike down or erode customs regulations that regulate the import of specific types of ancient coins that have been determined to be in jeopardy of looting. The group minted a test case seven years ago when it intentionally imported undocumented and unprovenanced ancient Chinese and Cypriot coins to the United States. The Guild imported the archaeological materials from a London dealer and shipped them to Baltimore on a British Airways flight. The ancient coins had no accompanying documentation and offered no record of chain of custody or provenance.

Repeated losses suffered by the ACCG in the federal district court, the court of appeals, and the U.S.Supreme Court have not deterred the Guild from continuing its blitz on the import controls, which were erected under authority of the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act (CPIA) and are designed to curb transnational trafficking of at-risk archaeological material.

The latest round of ACCG court filings is a motion for summary judgment that repeats many arguments that already have failed to win judicial support. In its July 2016 motion, the Guild insists that it “has either rebutted the government’s prima facie case and/or the government has failed to meet its own burden. Accordingly, the Court should grant the Guild Summary Judgment, order the return of the Guild’s coins, and require the Government to pay the Guild’s attorney’s fees and costs.”

While the ACCG litigates the Three Knife-Shaped Coins case in federal district court in Maryland, it is expected that the Missouri-based group simultaneously will press the matter when the Cultural Property Advisory Committee (CPAC) meets in Washington, DC on October 25. That is when CPAC will hear public testimony about whether the White House should renew import controls to protect pre-classical and classical archaeological objects and Byzantine and post-Byzantine ecclesiastical and ritual ethnological materials from Cyprus, Docket No.DOS-2016-0054.

So far the ACCG’s defeats in the federal courts have produced favorable case law that strengthens law enforcement efforts to disrupt cultural heritage trafficking. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, for example, decided that federal authorities properly listed the kinds of ancient Chinese and Cypriot coin artifacts that may be subject to CPIA import controls.

The appeals court also ruled that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) properly detained the ACCG's undocumented coins. The court explained that the burden therefore shifts to the Guild to prove that its actions were lawful, plainly articulating the clear rule that "[t]he importer need not document every movement of its articles since ancient times. It need demonstrate only that the articles left the country that has requested import restrictions before those restrictions went into effect or more than ten years before the date of import.” “In short,” the court added, “CBP need not demonstrate that the articles are restricted; rather, the statute ‘expressly places the burden on importers to prove that they are importable.’”

The ACCG rejects this standard. Rather than offering information to show that the ancient archaeological materials qualify as a legal import, the ACCG instead filed motions for discovery and a motion for summary judgment attacking the validity of the import regulations themselves. Meanwhile, the Guild maintains that the government bears the high burden to prove that the restricted ancient coins were first discovered in and subject to the export controls of China and Cyprus.

At a motions hearing held earlier this year, Assistant U.S. Attorney Molissa Farber, representing the government, told the Maryland district court that the Guild's line of argument is “essentially an attack on the government's ability to classify the coins by type and category, which has already been well-settled that we can do.” “And I understand that Claimants [ACCG] disagree with that process,” the prosecutor said, “but that's already been litigated. That’s not at issue here. That part is done.”

AUSA Farber reminded the court that “the Fourth Circuit rejected the notion that the government was going to have to fight a case coin-by-coin. The Fourth Circuit said that the statutory structure allows us to list coins by type and category.”

She emphasized that “the evidence that the Guild seeks to introduceis not evidence pertaining to the specific defendant property here. They’re not seeking to introduce any kind of evidence that relates to these 22 defendant coins as far as when these specific 22 coins left China and Cyprus.What they want to introduce is general evidence that coins of this type of category circulated broadly and may have left China and Cyprus outside of the regulated period.”

Peter Tompa, attorney for the ACCG and the organization's current president, countered, “The coins at issue here are typical in the market. So we don't know where they were found or too much about them. And there’s nothing nefarious about that, Your Honor. It’s a situation where there’s just low value items, and it was not important until recently that such things would be -- that such things should have a documentary history. But we do know something about the coins, we know something at least. We know that they were exported from the UK by Spink, a well-regarded firm that's been around since the 1600s, and in compliance with both UK and EU law in April,19 2009.”

Attorney Tompa continued, “Well, assuming the government has established first discovery just by listening, we’re entitled to rebut that. And how we’re trying to do that here with regard [to] these specific coins is by offering the opinions of two experts, Mr. [Douglas] Mudd, who is the Curator at the American Numismatic Association in Colorado, and Mr. [Michael] McCullough, who’s an expert in the international exchange of cultural artifacts.”

Declaring that “scholarly evidence” can be used by the ACCG to show that the coins left their countries of origin before the enactment of U.S. import restrictions, Attorney Tompa offered that “Mr. Mudd's opinion is that the ancient coins at issue here are of a sort that circulated in significant numbers outside of China or Cyprus for thousands of years[,] first as currency and then as collectibles. So it’s unlikely and cannot be assumed that they left Cyprus or China after the date restrictions were imposed.”

“So because these things circulated for thousands of years first as collectibles -- first as currency, then as collectibles," Attorney Tompa reasoned that "it’s unlikely that they exited Cyprus or China after the date of the restrictions, just given the numbers outside of those two countries.”

“Mr. McCullough's report is that UK and EU law did not require expert [sic] certificates for the coins at issue in this case, or the Cypriot -- well, any of the coins at issue in this case. And such with respect to the Cypriot coins, that would satisfy Cypriot law, because, after all, Cyprus is a member the EU as well. Mr. McCullough also opines that the Chinese coins here could have exited Hong Kong legally without documentation in that export would satisfy Chinese law under both the laws of China and Hong Kong.”

AUSA Farber countered this argument by rejoining, “The most salient point I think to take away from this particular dispute over the scholarly evidence at least is the distinction between specific and general. And I believe what we just heard from Claimant [ACCG] was a lot of purported evidence regarding general coin circulation. The coins are of the sort that circulated broadly. I mean, Your Honor raised the point, what’s the ultimate implication here? And the implication is that if that argument is allowed, it undermines the CPIA, undermines the statutory structure, because it essentially holds the coins shouldn't have been listed in the first place based on their type of category. And that’s not permitted.”

U.S. District Judge Catherine Blake agreed. In a ruling dated February 11, 2016, Judge Blake pronounced “that the Ancient Coin Collector’s Guild (“the Guild”) seeks discovery not relevant to the issues the court will have to decide in this forfeiture action.” In particular, she highlighted that the ACCG “apparently will seek to prove that the export of these coins from Cyprus or China to England was lawful under EU law. It is unlikely that the export control status of the coins under foreign law will be a proper defense in this forfeiture action.” The judge added pointedly, “Further, to the extent the Guild argues that the government must prove ‘first discovery,’ beyond demonstrating that the coins at issue appear on the designated list, that argument is foreclosed by the CPIA and the Fourth Circuit opinion in Ancient Coin Collectors Guild v. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 698 F.3d 171 (4th Cir. 2012). Listing by type and category is proper under the CPIA.”

Judge Blake also granted a protective order shielding two State Department employees from ACCG depositions, explaining that they “do not appear to have relevant personal knowledge.” Over the objections of Attorney Tompa, AUSA Farber attributed “ulterior motives” to the Guild's attempt to depose the purported witnesses, presenting the court with, what the federal lawyer called, an “Internet post written by a former director of the Coin Collectors Guild" criticizing one of the witnesses. Judge Blake remarked, “I'm more interested in probably the relevance than in motive.”

In June, Judge Blake issued a further order rebuking the ACCG's discovery requests, stating, “I will not at this time direct the government to provide any additional 30(b)(6) deposition testimony.”

Soon afterward, the ACCG filed its motion for summary judgment and, on July 29, the court adopted a schedule that allows the parties to fully brief their positions. Once completed in mid-October, CHL expects to review the parties’arguments.

Text and original photos copyrighted by Cultural Heritage Lawyer, a blog commenting on matters of cultural property law, art law, cultural heritage policy, antiquities trafficking, and museum risk management. Blog url: culturalheritagelawyer.blogspot.com. Any unauthorized reproduction or retransmission of any blog post without the express written consent of CHL is prohibited. CHL works in cooperation with Red Arch Cultural Heritage Law & Policy Research, Inc.

Shouldn't Art and Antiquities Sellers Be Subject to Anti-Money Laundering/Counter-Terrorist Financing Laws?

Banks, casinos, and high value asset sellers are subject to federal laws that flush out terrorist financiers and money launderers. So why aren't art and antiquities sellers subject to the same statutes?

Terrorists and criminals launder money by hiding dirty cash under the covers of seemingly legitimate business transactions. Money raised from illegal drug or weapons sales, for example, can be washed by purchasing luxury cars, yachts, mansions, or jewels. These newly bought assets either can be sold for cash or used as collateral to secure bank loans, thereby cleaning the cash of its sinful stains.

Dealers and auction houses sell art and antiquities that include high value works worth thousands or millions of dollars. At least one auction house issues loans, according to a report by Bloomberg titled An Auction House Learns the Art of Shadow Banking.

But while art and antiquities sellers are required to file Form 8300like any other business that accepts a $10,000+ payment from a client or customer, they are not subject to the same rigid requirements of anti-money laundering/counter-terrorist financing laws like the Bank Secrecy Act, the Foreign Assets Control Regulations, the Financial Record Keeping and Reporting of Currency and Foreign Transactions law, and the USA PATRIOT Act.

Yet dealers in precious metals, stones, or jewels; sellers of automobile, planes, and boats; real estate professionals; pawnbrokers; travel agencies; and casinos are all regulated the same way that banks, credit unions, securities and commodities brokers, and credit card systems are. Federal law classifies these industries as “financial institutions” under 31 U.S.C. § 5312 and 31 CFR 1010.100(t). Noticeably absent from this list, however, are businesses operating in the cultural property marketplace.

Dealers and auction houses in this marketplace clearly have what the Bank Secrecy Act is looking for, namely “certain reports or records where they have a high degree of usefulness in criminal, tax, or regulatory investigations or proceedings, or in the conduct of intelligence or counterintelligence activities, including analysis, to protect against international terrorism.” 31 U.S. Code § 5311. That is why federal law should require art and antiquities sellers to file Suspicious Activity Reports with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).

It's time for the Secretary of the Treasury, under authority of 31 U.S.C. § 5312(a)(2)(Z),to designate art and antiquities dealers and auction houses as businesses “whose cash transactions have a high degree of usefulness in criminal, tax, or regulatory matters,” and therefore subject to the anti-money laundering/ counter-terrorist financing requirements of federal law. This is one of six law enforcement recommendations CHL has prposed to combat transnational cultural heritage trafficking.

Photo credit: Manuel De La Pena / freeimages.com

Text and original photos copyrighted by Cultural Heritage Lawyer, a blog commenting on matters of cultural property law, art law, cultural heritage policy, antiquities trafficking, and museum risk management. Blog url: culturalheritagelawyer.blogspot.com. Any unauthorized reproduction or retransmission of any blog post without the express written consent of CHL is prohibited. CHL is a service of Red Arch Cultural Heritage Law & Policy Research, Inc.

Disturbing Evidence of Genocide and Heritage Destruction by ISIS Revealed at UN Congress

The annihilation of cultural and religious heritage is genocide's autograph. Landscapes fashioned by monuments, buildings, and houses of worship are obliterated into rubble when blood-thirsty men wish to exterminate the souls--not just the bodies--of an entire people whom they hate.

Panelists share evidence of ISIS atrocities with
the international community from the chamber of
the UN Economic and Social Council.

A United Nations report published in 2014 expressly recognized the link between heritage destruction and atrocity crimes, and last week a UN congress meeting in New York brought this distressing feature into focus.

Titled Defending Religious Freedom and Other Human Rights: Stopping Mass Atrocities Against Christian and Other Believers, the UN congress revealed shocking first-hand evidence of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes committed by ISIS against Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq and Syria.

The Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the UN assembled the international event in the wake of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's unexpected declaration last month that accused ISIS of committing genocide against Christians, Yazidis, and Shiite Muslims as that term is defined by the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and its enabling statute in the U.S., the Genocide Convention Implementation Act.

Carl Anderson, CEO of the 1.9 million member Knights of Columbus (K of C), the largest lay Catholic charitable organization in the world, testified that Christians, Yazidis, and other religious minorities have been repeatedly subjected to rape, murder, property confiscation, slavery, and forced expulsion by ISIS.

It is estimated the number of Christians has dropped from 1.5 million to 200,000 in Iraq, and from 1.5 million to 500,000 in Syria, Anderson declared to the international congress with a notable sense of urgency. He warned the community of nations that indigenous Christians with ancient ties to the region "are at risk of disappearing entirely," declaring that "[r]eligious minorities have an indisputable right to live in their homeland."

Along with attacks on religious minorities, jihadists have destroyed churches, monasteries, mosques, and shrines, including St. Elijah's, Iraq' oldest Christian monastery; the al-Kabir Mosque in Aleppo, Syria; a Yazidi shrine in Sinjar, Iraq; and numerous Chaldean, Armenian, and Greek Catholic churches in Syria. The American Schools of Oriental Research's Cultural Heritage Initiatives regularly tracks these and other episodes of vandalism.

A report titled Genocide Against Christians in the Middle East, which the K of C presented to the State Department in March and submitted to the UN congress last week, lists the names of 1,131 Christian victims murdered in Iraq. The nearly 300 page document specifically identifies 125 attacks directed against churches. An envoy sent by the charitable organization to Iraq in February spoke with 44 refugees, who supplied direct eyewitness testimony of atrocities that had been committed.

Attorneys L. Martin Nussbaum and Ian Spear, together with Catholic University law professor Robert Destro, authored a legal brief buttressing the Genocide report. They concluded that the evidence formed "probable cause to believe that ISIS has committed genocide, and that the Department of State should make a referral to the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice and the Security Council of the United Nations."

One congress panelist reminded the global participants that the preservation of cultural and religious heritage is important, but safeguarding human lives is even more urgent. Fr. Douglas Al-Bazi, a Chaldean Catholic priest, who held up a blood-stained shirt as evidence of his kidnapping and beating at the hands of jihadi extremists, asserted that the forced immigration of Iraqi Christians is causing Christianity to disappear in the region. While he said that outside observers might argue that Christianity should survive in Iraq "for a culture and historical reason," the cleric pleaded that the Christians of Iraq "are living and breathing human beings, not museum pieces."  "My people are losing hope," he worried aloud. "Soon we will be small enough for the world to forget about us completely."

Participants attending the UN Congress in NY.

A missionary in Aleppo, Sr. Maria de Guadalupe, told about the persecution of Syrian Christians, but she added, in the face of danger, they have courageously exclaimed, "The experience of death has made us understand the sense of life."

The brave and tearful voice of a young 15 year old Yazidi girl, meanwhile, described the repeated rapes she suffered, committed by the violent hands of ISIS militants after kidnapping the girl and her family two years earlier.

Panelist presentations concluded with Egyptian-American attorney and human rights advocate Jacqueline Isaac, Vice President of Roads of Success, describing horrific details of the enslavement, rape, and torture of women and girls, which can only be characterized as gruesome and inhuman. Isaac called for the perpetrators to be held accountable by the International Criminal Court.

The Vatican repeatedly has expressed grave concerns over genocide as well as its coupling to the destruction of heritage. It is therefore no surprise that the Holy See sponsored the UN congress. Referring specifically to the conflicts raging in Syria, Iraq, and other parts of the Middle East and North Africa, Pope Francis in his most recent Christmas message called attention to the "atrocities" and the "immense suffering" that "do not even spare the historical and cultural patrimony of entire peoples." In July, the pontiff decried that "a form of genocide is taking place [in the Middle East], and it must end." In a speech delivered to the UN General Assembly in September, moreover, the pontiff emphatically professed:

I must renew my repeated appeals regarding to the painful situation of the entire Middle East, North Africa and other African countries, where Christians, together with other cultural or ethnic groups, and even members of the majority religion who have no desire to be caught up in hatred and folly, have been forced to witness the destruction of their places of worship, their cultural and religious heritage, their houses and property, and have faced the alternative either of fleeing or of paying for their adhesion to good and to peace by their own lives, or by enslavement.

Among the many participants in last Thursday's congress were Ambassador Ufuk Gokcen of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation; Lars Adaktusson, the European Parliament member responsible for the EP resolution condemning the mass murder of religious minorities by ISIS; and the parents of Kayla Mueller, an aid worker kidnapped and killed by ISIS in Syria.

The congress took place at a time when parallel legal efforts to curb terrorist activities in Iraq and Syria are in motion. They include the unanimously adopted UN Security Council Resolution 2199, which aims to restrict ISIS and Al Nusra Front from raising money by means of cultural heritage trafficking, oil smuggling, and kidnapping. The recently passed Protect and Preserve International Cultural Property Act, likewise, is federal legislation that House and Senate leaders hope will curb smuggling of illegal Syrian artifacts into the U.S. That legislation awaits the signature of President Barack Obama before becoming law.

To help preserve lives and heritage in Iraq and Syria before they are wiped out, readers may contact In Defense of Christians, Roads of Success, the Knights of Columbus, or similar organizations that seek to help persecuted religious minorities in the region, which include Yazidis, Shia and Sunni Muslims, Turkmen, Shabaks, Sabean-Mandeans, Kaka’e, Kurds, and Jews, as well as Assyrian, Chaldean, Syriac, Armenian, Catholic, Coptic, Evangelical, Melkite, and Orthodox Christians.

Video of the UN Congress on Defending Religious Freedom and Other Human Rights appears below, courtesy of United Nations Webcast.



Text copyrighted 2016 by Cultural Heritage Lawyer, a blog commenting on matters of cultural property law, art law, cultural heritage policy, antiquities trafficking, and museum risk management. Blog url: culturalheritagelawyer.blogspot.com. Any unauthorized reproduction or retransmission of any blog post without the express written consent of CHL is prohibited. CHL is a service of Red Arch Cultural Heritage Law & Policy Research, Inc.

No I will not accept your LinkedIn dating request!

I love LinkedIn.  I think it is a great tool for continuing a professional relationship and it is now the online business card.  However, people are starting to use it like Facebook and for dating purposes.  I fear its purpose will become redundant.

My biggest bug bear about LinkedIn are the recruiters who look at my profile and then add me.  No message, just the standard LinkedIn "you are someone I trust".  Then I get a message saying, 'I saw you have career opportunities ticked and I wanted to discuss a role I want to offer you', or 'I have a role for you, let's chat'.  Well no, I don't have it checked because I'm not looking for opportunities and the role you have to offer me is an interview with five other candidates. 

A message to the young - this is not head hunting and is by no means complimentary.  Despite being Gen Y, I actually remember what recruitment was like before LinkedIn and what head hunting involved. 

To the men adding me on LinkedIn and then asking me for a wine after work, don't.  If I wanted to do online dating, I would use Tinder.

To the motivational speakers putting up quotes supposedly from Einstein, Emerson and Twain, don't. Use the message from those quotes and create your own message.  Build your personal brand.  

LinkedIn is such a resourceful tool which is under-utilised for it's required purpose.  When I first joined LinkedIn, I received referrals and recommendations for work.  One barrister had the brilliant practice of when he received a direct brief to email 3-5 lawyers who practiced in the necessary area and ask them to get back to him if they would like the work referred to them. 

Young professionals can use LinkedIn to build their practice and build your online profile.  You want that raise or promotion?  Well, set yourself apart from your colleague in the office next to you and use social media for that purpose!  An ability to build a practice at a young stage will be your most useful negotiating tool!

Picture available here

My tips, spend 20 minutes this week on updating your LinkedIn profile by:

- updating your photograph (no selfies, filtered photos or wedding pictures)

- updating your specialities and biography

- sending a message to a connection and make sure you continue the relationship

- reviewing the Groups you follow and see if you need a clean up

- searching for companies or influencers to follow (this helps you keep up on industry news and developments 

- having a look through the "people you may know" function to see if you can form new relationships. 

LinkedIn, if used correctly, is such a useful tool.  Have a reminder to review your overall profile every few months and make sure you keep in contact with your connections!

[UPDATE: Bill Signed Into Law] Video: Protect and Preserve International Cultural Property Act Passes House

[UPDATE: May 9, 2016: President Barack Obama today signed into law the Protect and Preserve International Cultural Property Act.]

Earlier this afternoon, the House of Representatives unanimously adopted the Senate's amendment of the Protect and Preserve International Cultural Property Act. H.R. 1493 calls for emergency import restrictions on at-risk Syrian cultural property. The bill now goes to the President for his signature.

View today's speech by Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) on the floor of the House, just before the bill's passage by voice vote.

Source: C-SPAN

Text copyrighted 2016 by Cultural Heritage Lawyer, a blog commenting on matters of cultural property law, art law, cultural heritage policy, antiquities trafficking, and museum risk management. Blog url: culturalheritagelawyer.blogspot.com. Any unauthorized reproduction or retransmission of any blog post without the express written consent of CHL is prohibited. CHL is a service of Red Arch Cultural Heritage Law & Policy Research, Inc.

Why we should be encouraging young girls to become footy fans.

I recently read the article by Kasey Edwards on why she didn't want her daughter to be a footy fan.  Ms Edwards provided well thought out reasons on her views, and addressed the likely thoughts of those who would disagree with her position.

Essentially, she concluded that why would she want to put her daughter in a position where she was likely to be a minority, to face sexism and discrimination.  Valid point, but overall I disagree.  I agree that the change in attitude to women in sport, particularly in football will not change through one trailblazer (e.g. Sam Mostyn or Rebecca Madden), but we need to have a consistent and collaborative approach in order to facilitate change and let society know, 'hey it's ok that females are involved in footy!'.

I have a consistent message in all of my speeches on gender equality - change will come through Generation Y males purely based on the fact that they have not been exposed to an upbringing which would result in them having a high level of inherited subconscious bias (against women).  Male gen y's were the first generation where mothers worked full-time and fathers were primary care givers; they are used to having women in what was a traditionally male role.  The ripple effect will continue so much so that future generations will have even less of an inherited bias - well that is my hope.

By encouraging our children to challenge gender specific barriers, we will facilitate a change for the future.  While I fully respect the decision that Ms Edwards has made, I hope in years to come she will not have to be concerned about her daughter's welfare and the impact exposing her to football could have on her confidence, self-esteem and outlook on life.

To do this, we, as leaders of our generation, need to call out the sexist or discriminatory behaviour and celebrate women in sport, whether they be a player, spectator, coach, umpire or commentator.  To stay silent is to accept the conduct.

I don't have children, but I played hockey since I was 4, softball since I was 8, touch football since I was 9, and then in high school went into rowing, volleyball, soccer and continued with athletics and other school sports.  I maintain a high level of sport as I embark on my 30s and last year I started boxing.  As kids we played tackled red rover with the boys, challenged them in 'Force Back' and held our own in the kicking game.  We were never told we couldn't or shouldn't do that.  We were encouraged to participate, and I will adopt the same position for my children.  Parents would never tell their sons not to watch dancing, or participate in ballet because he may be laughed at, or be ostracised based on gender.  He would be encouraged to stand tall, put it past him and do what makes him feel happy.  The same should be for our daughters and football!

I hope that change for women in sport comes sooner rather than later.  As Ms Edwards highlighted, it is estimated that 40% of club members are women.  If the Australian sporting industry (in this I include clubs, players, sponsors, spectators, umpires and commentators) does not recognise the significant role women play in sport, it will be to the detriment of Australian sport, which is without a doubt a significant part, if not the largest part, of Australia's culture and identity.

I coach at, play for, and am a Non-Executive Committee Member at Toowong FC.  I am proud of the commitment they have made to girls and women in sport with their programs.  I call on all those involved to work towards making it more acceptable for women to have a role in Australian sport (especially football), even if it by way of watching and supporting your team, so that mothers like Ms Edwards don't have to be concerned with the impact it could have on their daughters.

Toowong Tomcats 2015 team. 

Legislative Ban on Syrian Cultural Property Moves Forward in the Senate

Since the Senate Foreign Relations Committee reworked the language of the Protect and Preserve International Cultural Property Act in February, the proposed legislation is steadily moving through the halls of Capitol Hill. Yesterday the full senate passed the measure by unanimous consent.

The heart of H.R. 1493 calls for emergency import restrictions on at-risk Syrian cultural property within 90 days of the law's passage. It no longer mandates a cultural property czar like its predecessor legislation. Instead, the bill suggests that an interagency executive committee be created to help protect international cultural property.

Because the House of Representatives originally passed H.R. 1493 in a form that is different from what the Senate adopted, House lawmakers now must now consider the Senate's version of the legislation.

Text copyrighted 2016 by Cultural Heritage Lawyer, a blog commenting on matters of cultural property law, art law, cultural heritage policy, antiquities trafficking, and museum risk management. Blog url: culturalheritagelawyer.blogspot.com. Any unauthorized reproduction or retransmission of any blog post without the express written consent of CHL is prohibited. CHL is a service of Red Arch Cultural Heritage Law & Policy Research, Inc.

Russian Ambassador's Short Letter Makes Big Claims About Looted Syrian Antiquities

A letter from Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, Russia's envoy to the United Nations, has named dealers and shippers alleged to have facilitated the trade of looted antiquities from ISIS-controlled territory in Syria. Delivered to the UN Security Council on March 31, 2016 and released to the public today, the communication caught the attention of cultural property watchers, the media, and Turkey because of its blunt and provocative claims.

The two page correspondence identified the Turkish city of Gaziantep (see map below) as the focal point of smuggling "where the stolen goods are sold at illegal auctions and then through a network of antique shops and at the local market, BakırcılarÇarşısi (Eski Saray Street, Şekeroğlu district)." 

Ambassador Churkin announced that "new offices for the purchase of antiquities have opened on the Turkish-Syrian border in the administrative district of Akçakale...." He daringly identified the owner of an antique shop in the town of Kilis as a person "involved in the illicit trade" before proceeding to list individual Turkish transport companies that carried "bulky goods," describing how "[s]muggled artefacts (jewellery, coins, etc.) then arrive in the Turkish cities of Izmir, Mersin and Antalya, where representatives of international criminal groups produce fake documents on the origin of the antiquities."

The ambassador's letter contended that " ISIL has been exploiting the potential of social media more and more frequently so as to cut out the middleman and sell artefacts directly to buyers. Preference is given to cash transactions, while transactions conducted over the Internet involve the same financial institutions as are involved in transactions for the purchase of weapons and ammunition."

While the ambassador professed that "profit derived by the Islamists from the illicit trade in antiquities and archaeological treasures is estimated at US$ 150-200 million per year," he failed to provide details would back the claim. Instead, he offered an overview of the antiquities trafficking pipeline, explaining how ISIS maintains an antiquities division that is "part of the so-called ministry for control of natural resources within the group’s 'government.'" He remarked that "individuals in possession of a written permit stamped by this 'department' are permitted by the Islamists to carry out excavations and to remove and transport excavated items." Such claims match those made by the US government last year.

"The antiquities are ... offered to collectors from various countries," ambassador Churkin commented, "generally through Internet auction sites," several of which he plainly singled out. The wrongdoers, he said, "employ concealment measures, such as IP-address spoofing, which makes it difficult to identify and determine the actual location of the seller."

Ambassador Churkin's statements have not been verified by an independent third party. Nevertheless, collectors of cultural heritage objects should continue to exercise reasonable caution during this time of conflict in Syria by steering clear of archaeological objects that potentially originate from the region.

The map marks the location of Gaziantep, a crossroads of antiquities trafficking according to Ambassador Churkin.

Text copyrighted 2016 by Cultural Heritage Lawyer, a blog commenting on matters of cultural property law, art law, cultural heritage policy, antiquities trafficking, and museum risk management. Blog url: culturalheritagelawyer.blogspot.com. Any unauthorized reproduction or retransmission of any blog post without the express written consent of CHL is prohibited. CHL is a service of Red Arch Cultural Heritage Law & Policy Research, Inc.

Women in Law Event hosted by QUT Law Society

Last night I gave an address at the QUT Law Society Women in Law event in my capacity as Vice-President of WLAQ.  It was held at Old Government House and over 50 students attended.

The QUT Law Society did a fantastic job as hosts and the event was inspiring.  The Chief Justice gave an address and spoke of the significant milestones that women lawyers have made in Queensland's history.

Following this, I gave the address below and spent some time with my fellow MinterEllison colleagues talking to the students about transitioning from student to lawyer.

Congratulations to QUT Law Society on hosting such a wonderful event.

 

I would like to acknowledge the efforts of the QUT Law Society in hosting tonight's event, along with our Chief Justice who has provided another inspirational speech, which I am sure you will all reflect on in years to come.

I am here tonight in my capacity as one of the Vice-President's of the Women Lawyers Association of Queensland, and to provide you with background knowledge about our organisation and our plans for you and the future for women in Queensland's legal profession. 

WLAQ was founded in 1978 by Leneen Forde AC and ten female lawyers including current President of the Land Court, Carmel MacDonald, Una Prentice, The Honourable Justice Margaret McMurdo President of the Court of Appeal and Noela L'Estrange former CEO of Queensland Law Society.

Past Presidents include Deputy Chief Magistrate Leanne O'Shea, Judge Sally Purdon-Sully, Magistrate Kay Ryan and Justice Jenny Hogan.  Her Honour, Justice Mullins served as Treasurer for 7 years.

We are an organisation created by the leading women lawyers in Queensland, and  continued to be run by women who are as equally as passionate about ensuring that the interests of women in the legal profession are protected.  It is at this time that I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to the Chief Justice for her address delivered at the 100th anniversary of the admission of Agnes McWhinney. 

The address contained a comprehensive overview of the history of women in Queensland's legal profession, commencing with Agnes' admission on 7 December 1915, and progressing to what the Chief Justice described as a particularly important first which occurred in 2015, one that was a very significant milestone for women, and a position she had doubted a woman would ever hold.  This milestone was the appointment of Sue Brown QC as the first female Vice-President of the Bar Association of Queensland.  This being WLAQ's first opportunity to publically acknowledge the Chief Justice following this address, on behalf of WLAQ I would like to acknowledge another significant milestone of 2015, that being the Chief Justice's appointment as Queensland's first woman Chief Justice.  I know I speak on behalf of all present tonight when I say thank you, not only for your contribution to women in the profession, but to the profession as a whole.

I would also like to echo your comments, that we can dare to dream of a woman President of the Bar Association, with the Law Society having achieved this milestone some 30 years prior with the election of Elizabeth Nosworthy. 

Some would ask, why in 2016 do we need an organisation such as WLAQ?  I do not propose to recite statistics, but want to emphasis the significant disparity between the ratio of female to male law graduates to the ratio of female to male QCs, Special Counsel and Partners.  The profession is loosing key women lawyers post 5 to 8 years admission, and adjustments to what used to be considered general practice for a lawyer, must be made.

At our last AGM we had 434 members, of which 147 were students.  WLAQ recognises the importance of ensuring our student membership is well represented and maintains an open relationship with all of the Universities so that we can work collaboratively in addressing issues that you face as you transition from student to lawyer.

Last year we released our 2015-2018 Strategic Plan, a first for WLAQ and an initiative I am proud to be apart of.  In this, we made a firm commitment to provide networking, educational and mentoring opportunities for our members.  I am pleased to report that we have made progress with this objective and our 2015/2016 Mentoring Program saw a significant increase in the number of mentee applications, that is applications by female law students requesting mentorship.  As students, this is where you will see the most benefits of being a member of WLAQ.

It is important that as you progress in your career you remain open to discussing your ideas and issues with those more senior than you.  It is through these conversations that we can recognise any systemic issues that may be presenting as barriers to your progression and assist you in finding solutions.  I acknowledge the reports of the unbalanced proportion of available positions to the number of law graduates.  However, when we look at your career progression, it is important that impediments to you staying in the legal profession are known so that, when we look at the other end of the spectrum, that is your movement into leadership positions, WLAQ as an organisation, can continue to do what it can to facilitate disruption and work towards equality.  It is now that I call upon the male law students in the room to commit to being a champion of change and look up to role models such as Dominic McGann.

Moving forward, I would encourage you to support each other as you graduate, when you are admitted, and as you progress through the ranks in your career.  It is important that we work together and have a support network amongst our peers.  WLAQ events are frequently attended by past Presidents and the executive, who often retell stories of their recent catch ups.   It is now that you will create friendships that are the foundation of your career relationships.

With that, I would like to extend an invitation to you all to attend the Una Prentice Awards, which are being held on 19 April 2016 at the College of Law.  The Awards celebrate the top female law student of each University, made possible thanks to the generous bequest of Una Prentice, the first female law graduate.

Thank you again to Harriette and the QUT Law Society for asking WLAQ to attend tonight and I wish you all the best with your career.

Gender equality improves in legal fraternity

I have always maintained that any improvement to gender parity and inequality issues will come through men taking the lead and becoming a role model to our younger generation.

It was great to talk to Brisbane Legal about the WLAQ Inter-Professional Evening and give my views on gender equality in the legal profession.

The full article can be found here.

Thank you again to the women I work with at MinterEllison for supporting me in organsing the event and coming along.

Andre Cois Photography