This World Assembly,
Recognizing the fundamental spiritual, historical and social value that cultural artefacts hold in many nations,
Realizing the considerable damage that the illicit trade of cultural artefacts may cause to the cultural heritage of nations from which they are taken,
Disturbed by the emergence of a multinational black market for stolen cultural artefacts, generating a potent source of funding for organized crime and terrorist groups,
Believing in this Assembly’s ability to effectively deter this criminal behavior,
Hereby,
1. Defines:
a. "cultural artefact" as any object which holds an importance for archaeology, prehistory, ethnology, history, literature, art, science, or any other significant cultural value to a current or past society,
b. "stolen cultural artefact" for the purpose of this resolution as any artefact illegally obtained from a country of origin, either through the theft or looting of cultural sites, archaeological grounds or exhibitions, and smuggled abroad with the intent to be distributed through undisclosed channels to patrons for profit,
2. Prohibits the importation of stolen cultural artefacts in all member nations,
3. Instructs a member nation to make intentional participation in the trade of stolen cultural artefacts a serious crime, enforced with effective and proportional sanctions, of which such participation includes:
a. theft or looting of cultural artefacts from archaeological or cultural sites;
b. direct involvement or collaboration in the trafficking of stolen cultural artefacts;
c. knowledgeable sale or acquisition of stolen cultural artefacts;
4. Grants the World Assembly Trust for Cultural Heritage (WATCH) authority over matters involving the illicit trade of cultural artefacts within the WA, which shall include:
a. coordinating with member nations in the identification and tracking of stolen cultural artefacts;
b. promulgating guidelines and strategies to combat the trade of stolen cultural property;
c. supervising repatriation requests between member states for seized stolen artefacts and ensuring the artefact's physical preservation;
5. Obliges a member nation, upon the ratification of this resolution, to return any seized stolen artefact to the state authority of its last legal custodian upon request, barring any significant concerns for the wellbeing of the artefact,
6. Permits a member nation to arbitrate on the legal status of cultural artefacts alleged to be stolen before the ratification of this resolution, subject to extant World Assembly legislation and other binding international agreements,
7. Invites a member nation to create an inventory of cultural artefacts within its nation, which shall include an identification of stolen or missing artefacts, and share this data with other member states and the WATCH,
8. Encourages a member nation to offer specialized training to police and customs services on the domestic enforcement of the provisions in this resolution as advised by the WATCH,
9. Urges all agents in the trade of cultural artefacts, including but not limited to auction houses, art collectors, museums, and other purchasers to require verifiable documentation and undertake proper due diligence before engaging in the trade of cultural artefacts,
10. Clarifies that nothing in this resolution shall be used to adjudge questions over national or cultural ownership of cultural artefacts, nor prevent further legislation on matters involving artefacts removed legally or with the appearance of legality whose ownership is disputed.
