The UNESCO Courier - Volume 2020, Issue 4, 2020

Half a century after its adoption, the UNESCO 1970 Convention against the illicit trafficking of cultural property is still a major instrument to stem this scourge. Over the last fifty years, the fight against this underground trade has intensified, and awareness of the moral damage caused by the plunder has grown. But the craze for these objects, the prices of which have skyrocketed; the leniency of sanctions, and the vulnerability of sites in conflict zones are all challenges that need to be addressed to curb the trafficking of what some call “blood antiquities”.

Adopted in 1970, the UNESCO Convention is a prominent legal instrument in the fight against looting and illicit trafficking. By laying down the principles of shared responsibility and cultural equity, it has also opened the way to the right of peoples to enjoy their own cultural heritage.

The very lucrative black market in works of art and antiques has flourished thanks to the keen interest of buyers, shortcomings in legislation, the complicity of those in the sector, an increase in looting in countries in conflict situations, and the development of online sales platforms.

The trafficking in antiquities from war zones in the Middle East has grown steadily over the past two decades. While there is international consensus on condemning this illicit trade, it remains difficult to combat it in practice. One way to stop it is to increase sanctions on buyers, says Amr Al-Azm, an archaeologist and professor of Middle East history and anthropology at Shawnee State University in Ohio, United States.

Faced with an increasing demand for its art objects in the global antiquities market, India has introduced strict laws to curb the illicit export of its archaeological and cultural heritage. However, the implementation of these laws remains a major challenge, due to the poverty that fuels looting, and the lack of adequate security to protect historical monuments.

This is the story of a Greek funerary stele from the fourth century BC, put up for sale by an international auction house in 2017. The piece was not withdrawn from the auction catalogue even after the warnings of an expert regarding its dubious provenance, backed by solid evidence. It would take over a year and numerous initiatives before the stele was finally returned to the Greek authorities.

Auction sites and social networks have, in the last few years, become hubs for the illicit trafficking of cultural goods. Though Facebook recently banned the trade in antiquities on its platform, much remains to be done to curb this relatively recent marketplace, which offers traffickers a global showcase.

A new kind of museum in Tongling, China, virtually displays ancient copper and bronze objects from the Han dynasty, many of which have found their way to museums abroad. It foretells the future of digital museums – institutions capable of sharing their resources and offering unprecedented access to their collections to global audiences.

The pioneering Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen (The National Museum of World Cultures) in the Netherlands was one of the first museums in Europe to develop mechanisms for repatriating artefacts looted from former colonies.

Since 2004, Argentina has returned nearly 5,000 cultural objects seized on its territory to their countries of origin. A greater recognition of the art of pre-Columbian civilizations and the adoption of a law protecting archaeological and palaeontological heritage are at the origin of this new policy.

Jürgen Schadeberg (1931-2020), the photographer who chronicled apartheid, also documented the evolution of South African jazz for almost sixty years.

The police brutality that came into focus in the United States in spring 2020 sparked a wave of protests that extended far beyond the country’s borders. Racism, whether systemic or “ordinary”, remains deeply rooted in the minds and workings of contemporary societies, the author argues.

Sexist algorithms? The question may seem odd. Coded by humans, the algorithms used by artificial intelligence are not free of stereotypes. But while they can induce sexist or racist biases, they can also be used to advance the cause of gender equality. This is what Aude Bernheim and Flora Vincent demonstrate in their book, L’Intelligence artificielle, pas sans elles! (Artificial intelligence, not without women!).

Already reeling from the economic crisis and the global pandemic, Beirut was rocked by two deadly explosions on 4 August 2020. The blasts claimed nearly 200 lives, left thousands wounded, and ravaged a large area at the heart of the Lebanese capital.