The 1970 UNESCO Convention – Guidance for Dealers and Auctioneers in Cultural Property

On 31st October 2002 the United Kingdom became a party to the 1970 Convention of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (the UNESCO Convention). The UK made the following reservations when acceding to the Convention:

(a) the UK interprets the term ‘cultural property’ as confined to those objects listed in the Annex to Council Regulation (EEC) No 3911/1992 of 9 December 1992, as amended, on the export of cultural goods and in the Annex to Council Directive 1993/7/EEC of 15 March 1993, as amended, on the return of cultural objects unlawfully removed from the territory of a Member State;

(b) as between EC Member States, the UK shall apply the relevant EC legislation to the extent that that legislation covers matters to which the Convention applies; and

(c) the UK interprets Article 7(b)(ii) to the effect that it may continue to apply its existing rules on limitation to claims made under this Article for the recovery and return of cultural objects.