[CPProt.net] Did you evere hear of the International Code of EthicsforDealers in Cultural Property

[MSN CPPnet]

From: MSN CPPnet [mailto:museum-security at museum-security.org] 
Sent: 07 June 2005 06:14
To: 'ryann at ryannwillis.com'
Subject: Did you evere hear of the International Code of Ethics for Dealers
in Cultural Property 

Dear Ryann Willis,

Nok statues are on the ICOM Red List:
http://icom.museum/redlist/afrique/english/intro.html

But you are offering these for sale WITHOUT ANY PROVENANCE INFORMATION:

http://ryannwillis.com/currentofferings.htm


Do the Nigerian authorities allow you to sell these? Do you have export
permits? How did you acquiere these statues?

Your full comment will be very much appreciated before I send information
about your trade to the Cultural Property Protection Net and Museum Security
Network mailing lists (2200 subscribers in 85 countries)


Yours

Ton Cremers


++++++++++++++++++++++


International Code of Ethics for Dealers in Cultural Property

 
Members of the trade in cultural property recognize the key role that trade
has traditionally played in the dissemination of culture and in the
distribution to museums and private collectors of foreign cultural property
for the education and inspiration of all peoples.

They acknowledge the world wide concern over the traffic in stolen,
illegally alienated, clandestinely excavated and illegally exported cultural
property and accept as binding the following principles of professional
practice intended to distinguish cultural property being illicitly traded
from that in licit trade and they will seek to eliminate the former from
their professional activities.

ARTICLE 1 Professional traders in cultural property will not import, export
or transfer the ownership of this property when they have reasonable cause
to believe it has been stolen, illegally alienated, clandestinely excavated
or illegally exported.

ARTICLE 2 A trader who is acting as agent for the seller is not deemed to
guarantee title to the property, provided that he makes known to the buyer
the full name and address of the seller. A trader who is himself the seller
is deemed to guarantee to the buyer the title to the goods.

ARTICLE 3 A trader who has reasonable cause to believe that an object has
been the product of a clandestine excavation, or has been acquired illegally
or dishonestly from an official excavation site or monument will not assist
in any further transaction with that object, except with the agreement of
the country where the site or monument exists. A trader who is in possession
of the object, where that country seeks its return within a reasonable
period of time, will take all legally permissible steps to co-operate in the
return of that object to the country of origin.

ARTICLE 4 A trader who has reasonable cause to believe that an item of
cultural property has been illegally exported will not assist in any further
transaction with that item, except with the agreement of the country of
export. A trader who is in possession of the item, where the country of
export seeks its return within a reasonable period of time, will take all
legally permissible steps to co-operate in the return of that object to the
country of export.

ARTICLE 5 Traders in cultural property will not exhibit, describe,
attribute, appraise or retain any item of cultural property with the
intention of promoting or failing to prevent its illicit transfer or export.
Traders will not refer the seller or other person offering the item to those
who may perform such services.

ARTICLE 6 Traders in cultural property will not dismember or sell separately
parts of one complete item of cultural property.

ARTICLE 7 Traders in cultural property undertake to the best of their
ability to keep together items of cultural heritage that were originally
meant to be kept together.

ARTICLE 8 Violations of this Code of Ethics will be rigorously investigated
by (a body to be nominated by participating dealers). A person aggrieved by
the failure of a trader to adhere to the principles of this Code of Ethics
may lay a complaint before that body, which shall investigate that complaint
before that body, which shall investigate that complaint. Results of the
complaint and the principles applied will be made public.

Adopted by the UNESCO intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return
of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in Case
of Illicit Appropriation at its Tenth Session, January 1999 and endorsed by
the 30th General Conference of UNESCO, November 1999.



Year of approval 1999
 UNESCO
Official Text-1 ethics.doc
 


 


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