International Cultural Sector Treaties, Conventions and Recommendations

• Definitions of "cultural property" in different International Treaties etc.

• International Cultural Protection Conventions and Treaties: - full texts of all significant global and regional international treaties relevant to cultural protection

• "Roerich Pact", 1935: - Treaty on the Protection of Artistic and Scientific Institutions and Historic Monuments (Treaty of Washington)

• UNESCO Conventions and Agreements - full texts of all standard-setting instruments adopted by UNESCO from 1948 to the present, including those covering copyright and intellectual property rights, cultural protection and education

• "Hague Convention,1954": - Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, The Hague, 1954

• 2nd Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention, adopted 26 March 1999

• 1970 UNESCO Convention: - Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Expert and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (14 November 1970)

• World Heritage Convention, 1972: - Convention Concerning the Protection of the World's Cultural and Natural Heritage (16 November 1972)

• UN General Assembly Resolution on the Return or Restitution of Cultural Property to the Countries of Origin (2 November 1993)

• European Cultural Convention (Council of Europe)

• European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage

• Convention for the Protection of the Architectural Heritage of Europe

• European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage (Revised)

• European Convention on Cinematographic Co-Production

• European Convention on Offences Relating to Cultural Property: - (23 June 1995)

• Unidroit Convention on Stolen and Illegally Exported Cultural Property, Rome, 24 June 1995 - including definitions of different types of `cultural property'

  • Current signatory States, Ratifications and Accessions to the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention

• Paper by Marina Schneider, Research Officer, Unidroit Secretariat, Rome, on the Unidroit Convention on Stolen and Illegally Exported Cultural Property: paper given to conference on stolen art, London, 22 - 23 November 1995.

• ICOMOS Charters and Standards: - texts of over 20 Charters and recommendations on heritage conservation and management of ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) and other international bodies

• Charter of Cultural Tourism - ICOMOS, 1976. Note: In February 1997 it was agreed to prepare a joint UNESCO, ICOMOS and ICOM text for a new UNESCO inter-governmental Charter, with a view to adoption by the UNESCO General Conference in 1999.

• Tokyo Resolution and International Alliance of Non-Governmental Organisations on the Information Revolution for the 21st Century

• New WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation) Copyright Treaty - full text, adopted by Diplomatic Conference, Geneva, 1996

• New WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation) Performances and Phonograms Treaty - full text, adopted by Diplomatic Conference, Geneva, 1996

• Institute of Art and Law (UK):  research institute producing important publications, conferences etc.

• ILAM - Instituto Latinoamericano de Museología -the Latin American Institute of Museology

© 2007. City University, Northampton Square, London EC1V 0HB, United Kingdom. Last updated by Patrick Boylan 14th November 2007