Regional Conference Aims to Shut Down ISIS Funding from Antiquities Looting and Trafficking

EMERGENCY STRATEGY SESSION TO CONVENE IN CAIRO, MAY 13-14, 2015

View of Nile from Cairo Tower

(Washington, D.C.) – In response to the unprecedented destruction of historical sites and antiquities by ISIS in Syria and Iraq, The Middle East Institute (MEI) and the Antiquities Coalition (AC) will co-sponsor a conference in Cairo from May 13-14 to promote ways in which the international community can address threats against the region’s cultural heritage.

The Cairo conference, titled “Culture Under Threat: The Security, Economic and Cultural Impact of Antiquities Theft in the Middle East,” will be held under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Antiquities. It will focus on regional solutions to the growing destruction, looting, and trafficking of antiquities across the Middle East and the links between antiquities racketeering and terrorist financing.

“We must take coordinated action to stop this march of destruction, and this is our chance to advance solutions to what is a true crisis,” said the Arab Republic of Egypt’s Ambassador to the United States, Mohamed Tawfik. “The terrorists of Da'esh must be stopped and all the countries invited have a chance to do their part.”

Invited to attend are the foreign affairs and culture/antiquities ministers from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Oman and the UAE, as well as the director general of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, and leading experts on counterterrorism, terrorist financing, archaeology, and heritage law.

“Under Egypt’s leadership, this unprecedented gathering will bring together key countries to form a new and powerful alliance,” said Deborah Lehr, Chairman and Co-Founder of The Antiquities Coalition, “and transform our collective outrage into action. We may not yet be able to stop the sledgehammers, but these regional powers can impede the terrorists and criminals from profiting from stolen treasure. By standing together, these nations can do much to halt the trafficking of illicit antiquities.”

The conference will open on the morning of Wednesday, May 13, and conclude on May 14.

“This timely conference is a call to action to stop the horrific destruction of our shared world heritage,” said Wendy Chamberlin, President of The Middle East Institute.   

Read the Press Release in Arabic Here. 

MEDIA INQUIRIES:

Katie Hooper, Communications, Antiquities Coalition
Katie.Hooper@wardcirclestrategies.com
202-494-8766

Scott Zuke, Communications Officer, Middle East Institute
szuke@mei.edu
202-785-1141 ext.1+236

Economic Development Conference Presents Preservation Opportunities in Egypt

AC Chairman Deborah Lehr with
Ministry of Investment EEDC Organizers

The Antiquities Coalition (AC) was honored to be invited to attend the Egypt Economic Development Conference titled “Egypt the Future” in Sharm el Sheikh on 13-15 March 2015.  Hosted by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, the conference outlined Egypt’s vision for opening up and reform of its economy.  President Sisi and his Cabinet used this opportunity to explain to global leaders and businesses from around the world their plans for “Egypt’s future.”  These reforms including a $40 billion development of a new Suez Canal and the surrounding area, a $45 billion new capital for Egypt, and further opportunities in tourism, agriculture, infrastructure and high technology.

Of particular interest to the Antiquities Coalition are the plans for development of cultural tourism.  The AC has proposed to Egypt’s Prime Minister ways that it can build up the tourism infrastructure around heritage sites, while further promoting their development, and has also provided suggestions on how to further attract Asian tourists.  Planned development of the archaeological sites, if done correctly, will result in further protecting them from antiquities looting. 

As the Egyptian government has reported, the conference was attended by kings, presidents, heads of state, ministers, and representatives from 88 countries, and 23 international organizations, and key individuals such as the US Secretary of State, the Managing Director of the IMF, and the Managing Director of the World Bank. A large number of global firms from the United States, Middle East and Asia were also present.  The event was a great success.  Egypt signed deals worth a total of $38.2 billion and received commitments for potential deals worth $92 billion.  On top of these pledges, leaders from the Gulf States pledged $12.5 billion in contribution. These commitments are a positive sign of support for President Sisi and his proposed economic reforms.  As a result, Egypt plans to make this conference an annual conference an annual event.  

We hope that the AC can support the Egyptian government in its efforts to reform during this important time.

Saudi Prince Faisal bin Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Aziz
Speaks to the EEDC

Antiquities Coalition Calls on U.S. and All Nations to Use All Policy and Legal Tools to Halt the Destruction, Trafficking, and Sale of Illicit Antiquities

Courtesy of Diane Flynn and the Oriental Institute

As ISIL extremists intensify their shameful march of destruction – destroying or looting and trafficking our shared heritage – The Antiquities Coalition is calling for immediate steps that the United States and other nations can take to limit the terrorists’ ability to profit from these malevolent acts – war crimes under international law.

“ISIL is arming its campaign of terror in part by selling the past and robbing future generations of our history,” said Deborah Lehr, Chairman and Co-Founder of The Antiquities Coalition. “We must constrict the terrorists’ ability to profit from the sale of plundered antiquities.”

“If we don’t act now, there may be no past left to protect. With each artifact looted and sold onto the international market, only criminals, insurgents, terrorists — and the most unscrupulous of collectors — profit. The rest of us all lose,” she added.

“There IS something the civilized world can do, right now. World leaders must urgently enforce existing laws, regulations and policies to end or stem these sales, which are funding these crimes against humanity.” Lehr said.

The Antiquities Coalition also released photographs showcasing masterpieces similar to those feared destroyed at Khorsabad, Iraq this weekend. These photos highlight previously preserved antiquities, which are on display at the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago. The school’s archaeologists were among the first to unearth Khorsabad’s treasures in the 1920s. The University today maintains one of the world’s finest collections of art from the Assyrian Empire, including works from Nineveh and Nimrud, which the Iraqi government reports also fell victim to ISIL last week.

The photos can be viewed here.

Courtesy of Diane Flynn and
the Oriental Institute

The Antiquities Coalition listed a set of actions that can stem the pillaging:

• Organize a Global Response: a unified strategy in which leading governments and international institutions deploy all available policy and legal tools to halt this targeted destruction and illicit trade, while prosecuting the perpetrators of these war crimes.

• Expeditiously Implement Import Restrictions:  the U.S. and all nations must expeditiously implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 2199, passed on February 12, 2015 that prohibits trade in cultural property from Iraq and Syria. (The resolution, passed unanimously by the UN Security Council, directs that action be taken within 120 days.) 

• Stop American consumers from unwittingly supporting ISIL: given that the American market is one of the largest for antiquities, the U.S. can help lead the way by quickly closing its borders to illicit trafficking in conflict antiquities from the Middle East Region, to ensure that pieces from Iraq and Syria are not being laundered through neighboring countries. 

• Launch an International Criminal Court war crimes investigation: UNESCO and other organizations have also called upon the ICC prosecutor to initiate an investigation.

• Support Strategic Military options: as appropriate, to protect civilians and halt the ISIL march of destruction across the cradle of civilization.

“We must not be complacent and accept these crimes against humanity,” Lehr said. “We must not allow terrorists to fund their actions through attacks against mosques, churches, libraries, and museums, which are documented risk factors of impending genocide and war crimes.”

Read Our March 6, 2015 Letter to the ICC Here

Read Our March 6, 2015 Statement Here

Antiquities Coalition Appeal to the International Criminal Court

On Friday, March 6, 2015 — after we learned of the alleged bulldozing of Nimrud by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) — the Antiquities Coalition wrote Fatou Bensouda, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), urging her to open an investigation into ISIS' war crimes against cultural heritage in northern Iraq. 

The attack of Nimrud — following others on the Mosul Library, Mosul Museum, and Assyrian ruins of Nineveh — is a grave violation of domestic Iraqi and international law, including the Rome Statute, which established the ICC.  More importantly, judging from history, it also poses a stark warning that ISIS will soon undertake even greater violence against the besieged Iraqi population: The United Nations (UN) clearly recognizes that such “cultural cleansing” is a specific risk factor of impending genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

Read our full letter to Madame Bensouda here. 

RESPONSE BY ANTIQUITIES COALITION CHAIR DEBORAH LEHR ON ISIS’ DESTRUCTION OF THE ANCIENT CITY OF NIMRUD

Every person on the planet should pause after yesterday's violent attack on humanity’s heritage and understand ISIS’ intent not only to control the future of humankind but also to erase and rewrite our past. 

We must unite with global intention to preserve our common heritage and resist ISIS’ effort to steal

Members of ISIS destroy ancient Assyrian statues at the
Mosul Museum in Iraq. Photo Credit: ArtNet

not only our future freedom but also our history, the very roots of our civilization. We need civilizing forces now more than ever and must take steps to protect our priceless historical sites and constrict the terrorists' ability to profit from sale of plundered relics.

We believe the following steps are key:

- Encourage all nations to expeditiously implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 2199 passed on February 12, 2015 that prohibits trade in cultural property from Iraq and Syria. (The resolution, passed with full U.S. support, directs that action be taken within 120 days.) Given that the American market is one of the largest, the U.S. can help lead the way by quickly closing our borders to illicit trafficking in conflict antiquities. 

- End impunity for these crimes against heritage which are documented risk factors of impending genocide, crimes against humanity and crimes of war. The International Criminal Court must immediately open an investigation into these severe violations of international law. UNESCO and other organizations have also called upon the ICC to take action. 

Resources:

Fact Sheet: UN Security Council Resolution 2199 on ISIL 

CONTACT:

KATIE HOOPER

202.494.8766

katie.hooper@wardcirclestrategies.com

Criminal Justice Matters Stealing the Past: Terrorists and the Black Market for Antiquities

March 4, 2015

As part of its "Criminal Justice Matters" series with Stephen Handelman, CUNY TV recently featured Antiquities Coalition Co-Founder Peter Herdrich and John Jay College Professor Erin Thompson in a half hour discussion on the global black market for art and antiquities, and the growing role of terrorist organizations such as ISIL in this cultural racketeering.

Antiquities Coalition Statement on Mosul Museum

Member of ISIS destroyed the priceless Assyrian winged bull
statue at the Mosul Museum. Photo Credit: Vice

Following the events in Mosul last week, the Antiquities Coalition strongly supports the American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR), Archaeological Institute of America (AIA), Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD), and Society for American Archaeology (SAA) Joint Statement on Cultural Destruction in Iraq. We join our partners ASOR and the AIA in condemning all attacks on heritage, but especially those that are used to intimidate populations through a campaign of terror. The ongoing violence by extremist groups such as ISIL and its affiliates demands swift and effective action. We support UNESCO in its recently announced international coalition against cultural racketeering, including its planned strategic summit on security issues like terrorist financing, which will bring together INTERPOL, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and key regional partners in the Middle East. It is time to start exploring solutions to these global threats against our cultural heritage.


See the AIA Joint Statement HERE