The Collector's Charter

A good-faith collector may unknowingly become the owner of a stolen or illicitly exported work. The consequences are serious: seizure, restitution, financial loss. The Charter helps reduce this risk through simple checks and preserved documents.

It also serves as a common reference among collectors, galleries, auction houses and museums, which thus share the same vocabulary of diligence.

The Charter is intended for private individuals, companies holding collections, foundations and market professionals. Public institutions may draw on it for their acquisition policies, in addition to their own rules.

It may be cited in a contract, internal regulations or a code of ethics, with a mention of its version.

The ten practices rest on international instruments: the 1970 UNESCO Convention on illicit transfers, the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on stolen or illegally exported cultural objects, the 1954 Hague Protocol and the OIMAP Guidelines 2019.

They translate the principle of due diligence: whoever buys must be able to show that they took the precautions expected of a prudent purchaser.

Adherence to the Charter is free. A collector or institution may declare their commitment to the Desk, which issues a certificate of adherence. It is not a certification, but a sign of seriousness appreciated by partners.

The certificate may be withdrawn in case of proven breach, after an exchange with the person concerned.

Several practices rely on services already described: consulting BIOP, the Desk's certificates and document verification. The Charter organizes them into a coherent path.

It adds no administrative procedure. It merely recommends using, in a useful order, what already exists.