Ethical Standards and Professional Guidelines

IFAR provides a database of Ethical Standards and Professional Guidelines. These are codes of behavior and generalized principles that represent a consensus of opinion in an organization or association about appropriate actions to take under particular circumstances. They are rarely legally binding, or even enforceable by the group, but they serve to articulate current norms and expected standards of behavior. IFAR publishes dozens of guidelines and standards enacted by professional arts groups such as dealer and museum associations and archaeological organizations, primarily regarding the collecting, acquisition, and ownership of art objects, including objects that may have been looted during the Nazi era, or antiquities that may have been looted from archaeological sites or been exported from their countries of origin in contravention of heritage laws. IFAR updates and expands this list, as needed.