The OIMAP Statutes

The Statutes open with a preamble recalling the States' commitment to protecting heritage and regulating the art market. They then contain provisions on the Organization's aims, its organs, its resources and the settlement of its disputes.

The structure is deliberately sober. Implementation details are left to rules of procedure, which are easier to adapt than the treaty itself.

Three principal organs are established: the General Assembly, which brings together all States; the Executive Council, of fifteen members, which prepares and follows up decisions; and the General Secretariat, headed by the Secretary-General, which executes.

The Statutes also authorize the creation of standing committees. Five exist today, from finance to cooperation and training.

Each State has one vote in the General Assembly, access to the members' area and to technical cooperation services. In return, it pays its annual contribution, designates a focal point and applies the binding directives.

A State in prolonged arrears may have its voting right suspended, under a graduated procedure that always provides for a prior exchange with the Secretariat.

The Organization has international legal personality. It can conclude headquarters agreements, recruit its staff and hold funds. An agreement concluded with France governs the status of the headquarters in Paris, and similar agreements cover the offices.

Staff enjoy the functional immunities necessary for the independent performance of their duties, within the limits provided by these agreements.

An amendment may be proposed by a Member State or by the Executive Council. It is examined by a committee, then submitted to the General Assembly, which votes on it by a two-thirds majority. It enters into force after notification by States in accordance with their national procedures.

This demanding procedure protects the stability of the text while allowing it to evolve, for example by increasing the number of committees or adding an official language.