Alert archives

A stolen work may resurface decades later. Keeping alerts, even old ones, makes it possible to match an object presented today with an earlier disappearance and to document its history.

The archives also serve research: art historians, jurists and criminologists find data there on the evolution of trafficking, its routes and its targets.

The record reproduces the text of the original alert and adds the date and reason for closure. When the work has been recovered, a note says so, without detailing the circumstances when proceedings are under way.

Photographs are kept where rights permit. Individuals' personal data are removed on closure, unless the persons concerned agree otherwise.

For a buyer, consulting the archives is a step of due diligence. An object whose description matches an old alert calls for documented explanations before any transaction.

This check does not remove the need to request a certificate. It works alongside document verification and the certification services.

The archives are public, but the persons mentioned retain a right of rectification. An owner whose work has been recovered may request that the record be updated or a comment added.

The request is made through the contact form. The Secretariat replies within an indicative period of ten working days.

Statistics drawn from the archives feed the Organization's publications. Researchers may request an extract of aggregated data, subject to compliance with confidentiality rules.

The open datasets, described on the open data page, complement this offer for statistical uses.