Partner museums

Museums are both holders of collections and actors in the fight against trafficking. They receive offers of gifts, deposits or acquisitions and must verify what is proposed to them. A network makes it possible to share good practice and reports.

It also allows situations to be compared: a small museum does not have the same resources as a large institution, but it can benefit from the same method.

The first contribution of museums is documentation. A precise inventory, photographs, a provenance history and a condition report are the basis of any certification. The Organization offers standard forms and training to produce them.

Partner museums can register their works with the Desk and obtain a work passport. A reduced rate of 50% applies to museums.

Museums are sometimes faced with restitution requests. The network offers a space for confidential dialogue, accredited experts and, if needed, a mediation mechanism. To date, 847 works have been restituted, a significant share of them following dialogue with museums.

The aim is to avoid litigation by favouring negotiated solutions: restitution, long-term loan or joint exhibition ownership.

The network carries out travelling exhibitions, curator exchanges and workshops on risk management. These programmes are co-funded by partners and Member States, according to projects approved by the Cooperation Directorate.

Museum staff also follow the modules of the Academy, among the 8,940 officials trained to date.

A public, association-run or private non-profit museum may apply to join the network. It must adhere to a recognized code of ethics, designate a contact person and undertake to report any suspect object.

Membership is free. It gives access to an exchange area, targeted alerts and reduced rates for Desk services.