Observe · Regulate · Protect — since 2007. 19th OIMAP General Assembly: Singapore, 10–12 June 2026. Programme
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Official speeches

The Secretary-General's public addresses before the General Assembly and international bodies.

Updated : October 28, 2026· 4 min read

The Organization's official voice

Banks of the Oise at Dawn, Louis Hayet (1888)
Banks of the Oise at Dawn, Louis Hayet (1888)

The Secretary-General's speeches publicly set the direction of OIMAP. They are delivered before the General Assembly, United Nations bodies and at professional events, then published in the three official languages.

This page presents the main texts and explains how to cite them. For the background of their author, see the biography.

  • Speeches
  • General Assembly
  • Singapore

Official speeches in figures

3Publication languages
10–12 June 2026Singapore General Assembly
19thAssembly session
1Opening speeches by session

Source: OIMAP General Secretariat.

Breakdown

General AssemblyOpening and closing
United NationsAddresses (indicative)
Professional conferencesMarket and museums
CeremoniesReturns

Indicative breakdown of published speeches.

The opening of the Singapore General Assembly

The 19th General Assembly is held in Singapore from 10 to 12 June 2026. The opening speech reviews the past year, recalls the 2024 results, namely twenty-three coordinated operations and 847 works returned to date, and presents the agenda.

The text stresses the regional dimension of the Organization, whose Singapore office covers Asia-Pacific, and the need to provide the States of this region with tools suited to their market.

Lace Towel End (c. 1700s–1800s)
Lace Towel End (c. 1700s–1800s)
Bull Head Attachment (c. 700–600 BCE)
Bull Head Attachment (c. 700–600 BCE)
Bidri Hookah Bowl with Roses (c. 1650s)
Bidri Hookah Bowl with Roses (c. 1650s)

Addresses to the United Nations

The Secretary-General also speaks before United Nations bodies, in Geneva and New York, where OIMAP has liaison offices. These addresses, presented here for information only, concern the fight against trafficking in cultural property and the consistency of international conventions.

The Organization recalls there its role of technical support: it does not legislate for States, but makes data, standards and common procedures available to them.

Speeches to professionals and museums

Several speeches are addressed to market players: auction houses, galleries, experts, museums. The Secretary-General explains the 2019 OIMAP Directives and the role of the Desk, and invites professionals to systematically check the BIOP database before any transaction.

These texts are written to be understood outside diplomatic circles. They avoid jargon and rely on concrete cases, such as provenance verification procedures.

Restitution ceremonies

At restitution ceremonies, the Secretary-General gives brief addresses. They recall the facts, thank the States and institutions that cooperated, and place the return of the object within the continuity of the 1970 and 1995 conventions.

These addresses are published with the corresponding press release, available in the Press releases section.

Main speeches

A selection of reference texts
OccasionBodyPublication
Opening of the 19th General AssemblyGeneral Assembly, SingaporeThree languages
Address to the United Nations (indicative)United Nations, New YorkThree languages
Restitution addressPublic ceremonyWith the press release
Opening of a professional conferenceOIMAP AcademyFrench and English

Milestones

  1. First Assembly

    The Statutes are adopted in Paris.

  2. Directives

    Speech presenting the seven directives.

  3. Review

    Announcement of twenty-three coordinated operations.

  4. Singapore

    Opening of the 19th General Assembly.

Official version

Vue générale prise à l'angle sud-ouest, Philoe, Maxime Du Camp (1849–50)
Vue générale prise à l'angle sud-ouest, Philoe, Maxime Du Camp (1849–50)
Saint Jerome and the Lion (From the former Church of St. Peter in Erfurt), Tilman Riemenschneider (c. 1495)
Saint Jerome and the Lion (From the former Church of St. Peter in Erfurt), Tilman Riemenschneider (c. 1495)
Saint Mary Magdalen, Simon Vouet (c. 1630)
Saint Mary Magdalen, Simon Vouet (c. 1630)

Full text or extract

Gathering among the Members of Office Censor-General (1700s)

Full text

Complete version
  • Dated and signed
  • Translated
  • Citable in full

Preferred for quotation.

Figure from a Crèche: Standing Mountain Goat (1780–1830)

Extract

Selected passage
  • Reduced context
  • Risk of misinterpretation
  • Reference required

To be used with caution.

Finding and citing a speech

  1. Choose the body

    Assembly, United Nations, conference or ceremony.

  2. Note the date

    The texts are sorted by date of delivery.

  3. Download the version

    Choose the language that suits you.

  4. Citing the source

    State the place, date and page of the site.

Good citation practices

A specialist journalist

Edge of the Woods Near L'Hermitage, Pontoise, Camille Pissarro (1879)
« The texts are published quickly and in several languages, which makes it much easier to check quotations. »
Camille Ferrand, journalist, cultural press (example)

Glossary

Address
Brief statement delivered at a ceremony.
Delivered version
Text as spoken, which is authoritative.
Body
Body before which the speech is given.
Restitution
Return of a cultural object to its State of origin.

How speeches are prepared

Each speech is prepared by the General Secretariat, with the directorates concerned and the legal department. Figures are checked against official publications, and passages relating to States are reviewed by the cooperation directorate.

The final text is translated and published on the day of delivery, or the next day for late addresses. In case of discrepancy, the delivered version prevails.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I find the speeches?

On this page, sorted by date and by body.

Can they be downloaded?

Yes, as PDFs, in the three official languages.

Do the speeches commit the Organization?

Official speeches express its position; only the decisions of the Assembly are binding.

Whom should I contact to quote a speech?

The press office, see Press contact.

Useful documents

Contacts

A Palace with an Arched Bridge (A Roman Villa), Hubert Robert (1760)
A Palace with an Arched Bridge (A Roman Villa), Hubert Robert (1760)
General SecretariatParis — Headquarters+33 1 00 00 00 00secretariat@oimap.exampleMonday to Friday, 9 am – 5 pm

Read the interviews

Egypt and Nubia: Volume I - No. 4, Slave Boats on the Nile, View Looking Towards the Pyramids of Dashour and Saccara, Louis Haghe (1838)

The Secretary-General's replies to the press.

Interviews
Image credits (17)
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