14/02/2011. Subject: Invitation to the 40th anniversary of the 1970 Convention. Dear Minister,

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1 14/02/2011 Ref.: CL/3953 Subject: Invitation to the 40th anniversary of the 1970 Convention Dear Minister, At its 16th session, the Member States of the Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in Case of Illicit Appropriation (UNESCO Headquarters, September 2010) decided that the 40th anniversary of the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property would be the most appropriate occasion to evaluate and reinforce this Convention s effectiveness, and to elaborate strategies to improve its implementation with regard to the new trends in the illicit trafficking of cultural heritage (see Recommendation 7, enclosed). I am very pleased to invite you to participate in this anniversary, which will take place at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 15 and 16 March To mark this event, UNESCO is planning a two-day celebration that will feature an international round table on the illicit traffic of cultural objects, a press conference and a forum for reflection. For more information, I invite you to refer to the provisional agenda for the celebration, which is attached herewith. Kindly note that the round table, which is organized in partnership with the BBC World Service, will take place in the morning of Tuesday, 15 March 2011 from 10 a.m. to noon, and that it will be open to the public. The purpose of this initiative is to bring together relevant international organizations, representatives of exporting and importing countries, actors of the art market and leading figures from the museum world to shed light on this worrying activity. Simultaneous interpretation in English and French will be provided during the meeting. Additional languages will be accessible if extrabudgetary funds become available. The forum for reflection, to be held on Tuesday, 15 March from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Wednesday, 16 March from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., will feature a debate, between interested States and a selected number of experts and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations (see Recommendation 7, enclosed) on the future of the 1970 Convention and on the illicit traffic of archaeological objects. Press and media will be authorized to attend the opening and closure of the meeting. 7, place de Fontenoy Paris 07 SP, France Tél. : +33 (0) Fax : +33 (0) To Ministers responsible for relations with UNESCO

2 CL/3953 page 2 I would be grateful if you could contact the Secretariat of the Section of Museums and Cultural Objects in the UNESCO Culture Sector (1 rue Miollis, Paris Cedex 15, France; tel: + 33 (0) /43 38; fax: + 33 (0) ; convention1970@unesco.org to provide the name of the person or persons who will represent your country at this celebration. I invite you to use the attached registration form for this purpose, and to return it to the address indicated above no later than Friday, 4 March In the hope that your country will be able to participate in this essential endeavour, I remain, Yours sincerely, Irina Bokova Director-General Enclosures: 4 cc: Permanent Delegations to UNESCO National Commissions for UNESCO

3 CLT/2011/CONF.207/1 Paris, February 2011 Original version: English Limited Distribution 40th ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1970 CONVENTION ON THE MEANS OF PROHIBITING AND PREVENTING THE ILLICIT IMPORT, EXPORT AND TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP OF CULTURAL PROPERTY Paris, UNESCO Headquarters, 15 and 16 March 2011 PROVISIONAL AGENDA Tuesday, 15 March a.m. Opening by Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director-General I. Round table (Room I) a.m. noon Round table, in partnership with BBC World News Moderator: Louis Laforge, Journalist, France 3 Speakers: Irina Bokova, Director-General, UNESCO A high-level representative from the General Secretariat of INTERPOL Zahi Hawass, Ministry of State for Antiquities, Egypt Alfonso de Maria y Campos, General Director, National Institute of Anthropology and History, Mexico Stéphane Martin, President, Musée du Quai Branly, France Jane Levine, Worldwide Compliance Director and Senior Vice President, Sotheby s II. Press conference (Room IX) p.m. Press conference 1 3 p.m. Lunch break III. Seminar (Room II) p.m. Opening: Ms Maria Vicien-Milburn, Legal Adviser and Director, UNESCO Office of International Standards and Legal Affairs p.m. Round table

4 2 The legal instruments employed for the fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural objects. Moderator: Francesco Bandarin, Assistant Director-General for Culture Speakers: Marie Cornu, Research Director, CNRS Lyndel V. Prott, Honorary Professor, University of Queensland Jose-Angelo Estrella Faria, Secretary General, UNIDROIT Yury Fedotov, Executive Director, UNODC (t.b.c.) John Scanlon, Secretary-General of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) Discussions p.m. Round table Illicit trafficking of cultural archaeological objects Moderator: Jean-Frédéric Jauslin, Director, Federal Office of Culture, Switzerland Speakers: Cecilia Bakula, former National Director of the National Institute of Culture of Peru, Ambassador of Peru Patty Gerstenblith, Distinguished Research Professor of Law, De Paul University Paolo Ferri, Former Prosecutor for the Republic of Italy and international legal expert in cultural goods Ridha Fraoua, Doctor of law, Expert in cultural heritage legislation Samuel Sidibe, Director of the National Museum of Mali Discussions 6.30 p.m. 9 p.m. Cocktail Wednesday, 16 March a.m. 1 p.m. Discussions between the States on the future of the 1970 Convention and the fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural property Presentation of awareness-raising materials 1 3 p.m. Lunch break p.m. Discussions p.m. Closure

5 CLT-2010/CONF.203/COM.16/5 Paris, September 2010 Original: English S INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE FOR PROMOTING THE RETURN OF CULTURAL PROPERTY TO ITS COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN OR ITS RESTITUTION IN CASE OF ILLICIT APPROPRIATION Sixteenth session Paris, UNESCO Headquarters, September 2010 Recommendation No. 7 The Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in Case of Illicit Appropriation Noting the discussions about the challenges concerning the implementation of the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property as well as of the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects, Taking note of the necessity to evaluate in particular their effectiveness and their implementation with regard to the new trends in illicit trafficking of cultural heritage, in particular the growing threats to archaeological and paleontological heritage, 1. Considers the 40th and the 15th anniversaries of the 1970 UNESCO and 1995 UNIDROIT Conventions as an opportunity to conduct such evaluations, 2. Regards these events as a chance to reinforce their effectiveness and elaborate strategies in particular for their better applications, 3. Requests the Director-General of UNESCO, in cooperation with the UNIDROIT Secretariat, to facilitate the organization of a forum of reflection as soon as possible among UNESCO Member States in particular on the following subjects: (a) the effectiveness of the current international legal framework, taking into account that it might be insufficient in the fight against illicit trafficking in cultural property and restitution of cultural property to its countries of origin, in particular that related to archaeological and paleontological objects coming from illicit excavations and looting of archaeological and paleontological sites; (b) the contribution and complementarity of other legal instruments for the protection of cultural property and the fight against illicit trafficking; (c) The consideration of basic principles in the field of restitution and return of cultural objects which could enrich the work of the Committee as well as the functions of the 1970 UNESCO Convention;

6 2 (d) The convenience of improving the role of the Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in Case of Illicit Appropriation, in particular that related to guiding the planning and implementation of UNESCO s programme of activities with regard to restitution and return of cultural property to its countries of origin. 4. Calls upon the Director-General to mobilize the additional extrabudgetary funds required for the organization of this forum of reflection.

7 CLT/2011/CONF.207/2 40th anniversary of the 1970 Convention/40 e anniversaire de la Convention de March 2011 / mars 2011, Paris, UNESCO Headquarters/Siège de l UNESCO REGISTRATION FORM/FICHE D'INSCRIPTION This form should be completed and returned before 4 March 2011 by mail or (see contacts below) Ce formulaire doit être rempli et renvoyé avant le 4 mars 2011 par courrier ou courriel (voir contacts ci-dessous) STATUS OF THE PARTICIPANT/STATUT DU PARTICIPANT Member State of UNESCO/État membre de l UNESCO Representative Head of Delegation/Représentant Chef de Délégation Alternate, Adviser, Expert/Suppléant, Conseiller, Expert Permanent Observer Mission to UNESCO/Mission permanente d observation auprès de l UNESCO Representative Head of Delegation/Représentant Chef de Délégation Alternate, Adviser, Expert/Suppléant, Conseiller, Expert IGO or NGO / OIG ou ONG Individual observer/observateur individuel for the morning of Tuesday 15 March/pour le mardi matin 15 mars (open to the public/ouvert au public) for the two days/pour les deux jours (restricted to States and selected experts/réservé aux Etats et experts sélectionnés) Press Media (after authorization)/presse (sur accréditation) PERSONAL DATA / INFORMATIONS PERSONNELLES (in capital letters/en majuscules) Ms/Mme Miss/Mlle Mr/M. Last name Nom de famille First name Prénom Country or organisation Pays ou organisation Title and function Titre et poste Address/Adresse (Professional or personal/ Professionnelle ou personnelle) Tel.office Tél.bureau Mobile/ Portable Fax Preferred language / Langue de préférence English Français /Courriel CONTACTS: UNESCO 1 rue Miollis, Paris Cx 15, FRANCE Section of Museums and Cultural Objects convention1970@unesco.org UNESCO Tel: + 33 (0) / Section des musées et objets culturels Fax: + 33 (0)

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9 CLT/2011/CONF.207/3 GENERAL INFORMATION LEAFLET 40th Anniversary of the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property Paris, UNESCO Headquarters, March 2011 Location of the Meeting Conference Room UNESCO 7, place de Fontenoy Paris 07 SP France The meeting will be held in Rooms I & II, Fontenoy Building on 15 and 16 March 2011, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. By Metro: - Line 10: Ségur - Line 6: Cambronne - Line 8: Ecole Militaire By bus: - 28: Fontenoy-UNESCO stop - 80: Ecole Militaire stop - 82: Ecole Militaire stop - 87: Duquesne-Lowendal stop - 92: Ecole Militaire stop To Ministers responsible for relations with UNESCO

10 2 Connections serving Roissy Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports From Charles de Gaulle airport Bus Air France to Place Charles de Gaulle-Etoile, then Metro line 6 to Cambronne station or: RoissyBus to Opéra, then Metro line 8 to La Motte-Picquet Grenelle station, then either line 6 to Cambronne or line 10 to Ségur or: RER B to Denfert-Rochereau, and then Metro line 6 to Cambronne station From Orly airport Orlybus to Denfert-Rochereau, then Metro ligne 6 to Cambronne station or: Orlyval to Anthony, then RER B to Denfert-Rochereau, then Metro line 6 to Cambronne station or: Bus Air France to Montparnasse, then Metro line 6 to Cambronne station Registration and Submission of Contact Information Member States and non-member States, governmental and nongovernmental international organizations, representatives of the press, and other observers are requested to send their names and contact information (title, function, address, etc.) as soon as possible and no later than 4 March, 2011, using the registration form provided for that purpose and send it to: Contacts: UNESCO Culture Sector Division of Cultural Objects and Intangible Heritage Section of Museums and Cultural Objects 1, rue Miollis F Paris cedex 15, France Mr Edouard Planche, Miss Sophie Delepierre or Ms Atieh Asgharzadeh Tel: + 33 (0) / convention1970@unesco.org Security All registered participants are invited to obtain a temporary badge at the entrance of Fontenoy (7, place de Fontenoy, Paris), next to the security entrance. Those who have not registered, and who wish to be included in the final list of participants, must register on 15 March, 2011 beginning at 9 a.m. at the reception desk Monaco located in front of Room I. Each participant will receive a badge valid for the 2 days of the meeting and are asked to wear it for the duration in order to facilitate their identification in the Headquarters building. Entry Formalities Visas All participants arriving in France must carry a valid passport and a tourist visa, except in the case of nationals from countries with which special agreements have been made. To obtain a tourist visa, please contact the nearest French diplomatic mission or consular post or contact a travel agent, who will be able to provide useful advice.

11 Documentation 3 As part of the Secretariat s efforts to limit environmental impact, the representatives of each delegation who have received documentation by mail and/or electronic mail are asked to bring their copies to the meeting. A limited number of copies will also be distributed in the room. Other than the working papers of the meeting, the Secretariat may neither type nor translate documents for the meeting s participants. To facilitate the work of translators, interpreters and the assembly, participants are asked to provide to the Secretariat in advance the text of any amendment or speech to be issued during the meeting on CD, USB or via . Documentation is available electronically in English and in French on UNESCO s website at the following address: Wireless Connection UNESCO s public wireless server is accessible inside the meeting room. Sign-in: User Name (Nom d utilisateur): hq-air Password (Mot de passe): uneswifi Refreshments Coffee and tea will be served each day in front of Room I or II. For your refreshment, a cafeteria is also accessible on the 7th Floor of the Fontenoy building. Opening hours: a.m. to 2.30 p.m. The Lowendal restaurant is also located on the 7th Floor of the Fontenoy building. Opening hours: noon to 2.30 p.m. The Conference Bar, also accessible to participants, serves coffee, tea, cold drinks and snacks (cakes and sandwiches) all day; as well as hot and cold plates at mealtimes. It is located in the basement of the conference building. Opening hours: 8.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Economat UNESCO s Economat offers a wide range of articles (current food and luxury perfumes, gifts, etc.). It is located on the 1st basement of the Bonvin Building. Opening hours: Monday to Friday, a.m. to 2.30 p.m., and 4 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. A branch of the Commissary, specializing in gifts and personal items, is located in the basement of the conference building (Fontenoy Building). Opening hours: Monday to Friday, a.m. at 5.45 p.m. Medical Services UNESCO s medical service and infirmary are located in the Fontenoy building on the 2nd floor, office Opening hours: 9 a.m. to 6.30 p.m.

12 4 Shuttle There is regular shuttle service between the Fontenoy and Miollis buildings. The shuttle departs every twenty minutes. Bookshop Situated at the entrance of the Fontenoy building, the bookshop sells UNESCO publications, periodicals, CDs, CD-ROMs, and certain publications of the United Nations. Also for sale are UNESCO-brand gifts, as well as philatelic and numismatic items. Library You'll find a free selection of newspapers and magazines, as well as dictionaries, encyclopedias, directories, guides, etc. You can view UNESBIB, the online catalog, which lists the UNESCO s documents and publications since 1972, and UNESDOC, the full-text database. Photocopiers, printers, and information services are available. The library is located on the ground floor of the Fontenoy building. Opening Hours: 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. library@unesco.org Newsstand A newsstand is located in the lobby of the Fontenoy building and offers newspapers, magazines and books. Postal Services A Post Office is located opposite the main building of UNESCO, 3, avenue de Saxe, Paris, and a mailbox is located within the premises of the Organization to the left of the main entrance facing the registration desk. Bank A bank (Société Générale) and ATM are available 24hrs a day in the Fontenoy building and in the annex building of UNESCO, 1 rue Miollis.

13 Information on Hotels near UNESCO 5 Hotel Segur 34, bd Garibaldi PARIS (33-1) fax (33-1) Saxe Résidence 9, Villa de Saxe PARIS (33-1) fax (33-1) Hotel Ibis 2, rue Cambronne PARIS (33-1) fax (33-1) Le Bailly de Suffren Avenue de Suffren PARIS (33-1) fax (33-1) Hotel La Bourdonnais 111, avenue de La Bourdonnais PARIS (33-1) fax (33-1) Hotel Lecourbe 28, rue Lecourbe PARIS (33-1) fax (33-1) Hotel Duquesne-Eiffel 23, avenue Duquesne PARIS (33-1) fax (33-1) Nouvel Hotel Eiffel 5, rue des Volontaires PARIS (33-1) fax (33-1) Turenne Hotel 20, avenue de Tourville PARIS (33-1) fax (33-1) Hotel Fondary Avenue Fondary PARIS (33-1) fax (33-1) Hotel Garibaldi 42, bd Garibaldi PARIS (33-1) fax (33-1)