Observe · Regulate · Protect — since 2007. 19th OIMAP General Assembly: Singapore, 10–12 June 2026. Programme
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The six missions of OIMAP

Observe, regulate, protect, certify, train, arbitrate: the Organization's mandate in six missions.

Updated : October 28, 2026· 4 min read

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Interior Drawer for Cabinet, André-Charles Boulle (c. 1690)Observe: the market observation missionHow OIMAP collects, checks and publishes data on the global art and heritage market.› Boy with Anchor, Winslow Homer (1873)Regulate: standards and directivesHow OIMAP develops common standards: binding directives, recommendations and the international legal framework.› Farmhouse on the Slope of a Hill, Fra Bartolommeo (c. 1508)Protect: BIOP, alerts and restitutionsOIMAP's protection mission: database of stolen works, alerts, coordinated operations and restitutions.› Lace Towel End (c. 1700s–1800s)Certify: certificates and artwork passportsThe certification mission: authenticity, provenance, title of ownership and digital passport issued by the OIMAP Desk.›

Six missions, a single mandate

Portrait of Isabella Brant, Peter Paul Rubens (c. 1620–25)
Portrait of Isabella Brant, Peter Paul Rubens (c. 1620–25)

Since 2007, OIMAP has exercised a single mandate broken down into six complementary missions. This section presents the four missions that affect the public most directly: observing, regulating, protecting and certifying.

The training and arbitration missions are detailed in the Training and Arbitration sections. Each mission relies on a directorate of the General Secretariat and on public indicators.

  • Missions
  • Mandate
  • Organization

The six missions of OIMAP in figures

6Missions of the mandate
67Member States
48,200Works in the BIOP
12,847Certifications issued

Source: OIMAP General Secretariat.

Breakdown

ObserveData and monitoring
RegulateStandards and directives
ProtectBIOP and restitutions
CertifyDesk
TrainAcademy
ArbitrateDisputes

Indicative relative weight of the missions in activity.

Why six missions

The art and heritage market is a space where economic, scientific and cultural interests intersect. No single function is enough to make it safe. The Organization has therefore built its mandate as a coherent whole, in which each mission feeds the others.

Observing provides the data, regulating draws rules from it, protecting and certifying apply them to specific works, training spreads good practice and arbitrating settles the disputes that remain.

Twilight in the Wilderness, Frederic Edwin Church (1860)
Twilight in the Wilderness, Frederic Edwin Church (1860)
Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, Hans Daucher (1500s)
Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, Hans Daucher (1500s)
View of the Gulf of Pozzuoli from Solfatara, Philipp Hackert (1803)
View of the Gulf of Pozzuoli from Solfatara, Philipp Hackert (1803)

A continuous chain

An example illustrates this continuity. An unusual rise in sales of archaeological objects appears in the statistics. The Member States then adopt a recommendation, the BIOP database is consulted before every sale and customs officers receive targeted training.

None of these steps replaces the others. It is their sequence that gives the system its strength, which is why the missions are presented together on this page.

Who does what

Each mission is carried by an identified directorate: Market and Studies for observation, Regulation and Law for standards and arbitration, Protection for the BIOP, Certification for the Desk and OIMAP Academy for training.

The Secretary-General, Dr Philippe Aubert de Vincelles, coordinates the whole and reports on the execution of the mandate to the General Assembly, which will meet in Singapore from 10 to 12 June 2026 for its 19th session.

What the missions are not

OIMAP is neither a police force nor a national court. It does not seize works, does not convict anyone and does not replace State authorities. It alerts, coordinates, certifies and proposes frameworks that States apply.

This restraint is deliberate. It ensures that the Organization remains a trusted third party, accepted by States and market professionals alike.

The six missions at a glance

The six missions and their directorates
MissionIn practiceLead directorate
ObserveMarket barometer, statisticsMarket and Studies
RegulateDirectives and recommendationsRegulation and Law
ProtectBIOP, alerts, restitutionsProtection
CertifyCertificates and artwork passportsCertification
TrainProgrammes for officers and expertsOIMAP Academy
ArbitrateMediation and arbitrationRegulation and Law

Milestones

  1. Initial mandate

    Observe, regulate, protect.

  2. Train

    Creation of the OIMAP Academy.

  3. Certify

    Opening of the Desk.

  4. OIMAP Directives

    Seven binding directives.

A mandate that has grown

Winding Yarn (Interior of a Nantucket Kitchen), Eastman Johnson (1872)
Winding Yarn (Interior of a Nantucket Kitchen), Eastman Johnson (1872)
The Brook, Paul Cezanne (c. 1895–1900)
The Brook, Paul Cezanne (c. 1895–1900)
Bowl with Chrysanthemums, Seifū Yohei IV (1914–46)
Bowl with Chrysanthemums, Seifū Yohei IV (1914–46)

Normative and operational missions

Head of a Woman (400–200 BCE)

Normative missions

Observe, regulate
  • Produce rules
  • Rely on data
  • Voted by the States

A common framework.

Cabinet Plate, W. T. Copeland & Sons (1883)

Operational missions

Protect, certify, train, arbitrate
  • Handle cases
  • Serve professionals
  • Monitored by indicators

A concrete effect.

Choosing the right mission

  1. Identify the need

    Data, rule, protection or service.

  2. Open the page

    Observe, regulate, protect or certify.

  3. Follow the links

    Detailed section of the site.

  4. Contact

    If needed, via the form.

Key points

A museum director

Temple of Athene Nike. Venus Victrix—Wingless Victory, Dimitrios Constantin (c. 1850s–60s)
« Seeing the six missions as a chain, and not as six desks, helped us understand when to approach the Organization. »
Clara Eriksen, collections director (example)

Glossary

Mandate
All the missions entrusted to the Organization by its Member States.
Guideline
Binding standard adopted by the General Assembly.
BIOP
Database of stolen works managed by the Protection Directorate.
Work passport
Digital document bringing together the identity and history of a work.

Where to start

Depending on your need, choose the closest mission: consulting data, understanding a rule, reporting a stolen work or obtaining a certificate. Each of the pages below links to the detailed sections of the site.

If you are unsure, the form in the Contact section can direct your request to the right service.

Frequently asked questions

Are all the missions free of charge?

Data and alerts are public; some Desk services give rise to fees. See Fees.

Can OIMAP seize a work?

No. It alerts and coordinates; seizure is a matter for national authorities.

Who sets the priorities?

The General Assembly, on a proposal from the Executive Council.

Where can the Train mission be found?

In the Training section.

Useful documents

Contacts

Eighteen Views of Rome: The Piazza Farnese (recto); Cartouche (verso), Lievin Cruyl (1664)
Eighteen Views of Rome: The Piazza Farnese (recto); Cartouche (verso), Lievin Cruyl (1664)
General SecretariatParis — Headquarters+33 1 00 00 00 00secretariat@oimap.exampleMonday to Friday, 9 am – 5 pm

Discover the Observe mission

The birth of Rama and his brothers, from Chapter 17 of the Bala Kanda (Book of Childhood) of the Adhyatma Ramayana (Rama's Journey of the Su (c. 1820–30)

Start with the data on which the other missions are based.

Observe
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