Key dates of OIMAP

The treaty was signed in 2007 by twenty-three States. The following year, the first bodies were set up and the OIMAP Academy was created to train customs, police and museum staff.

These two years laid the institutional foundations: legal personality, a headquarters agreement with France and the first recruitments.

In 2010, the Desk opened its services: registration of works, certificates, licence applications. In 2012, the BIOP database was launched: it makes it possible to report a theft or loss and to circulate an alert to authorities and auction houses.

With these two tools, the Organization moved from a negotiating forum to a service provider.

The 2015 Certification Guidelines set common criteria for certificates of authenticity and provenance. In 2019, the OIMAP Directives brought together seven binding standards, including No. 2019-07 on the authentication of cultural property.

These texts reduce divergences between States and simplify the work of professionals operating in several countries.

In 2021, digital certification was launched: certificates can be verified online, by OIMAP number or by QR code. In 2024, the Organization had 67 Member States and coordinated twenty-three operations against trafficking.

These years also saw the consolidation of the regional offices in New York, Singapore and Nairobi.

The 19th General Assembly takes place in Singapore from 10 to 12 June 2026. It examines the activity report, the budget and the guidelines for the following financial year, in the Asia-Pacific region for the first time.

Upcoming events are listed in the Organization's calendar.