Cleveland Museum of Art · CC0 1.023 operations in 2024
Joint operations bring together the customs, police and cultural services of several States to act together against the trafficking of cultural property. In 2024, the Organization coordinated 23 operations of this kind.
They rest on the trust built through bilateral agreements and on officer training.
Joint Operations in Figures
Source: Member States Relations Directorate.
Why Act Together
The trafficking of cultural property is transnational: an object stolen in one country is exported by a second and sold in a third. No State can fight it alone. Joint operations coordinate inspections in time and space.
They also make it possible to share intelligence that no single service could have gathered.
Preparation
An operation begins with a risk analysis: routes, periods, categories of property. Participating States designate coordinators, agree on rules for exchanging information and set measurable objectives.
The Organization provides a secure platform and the BIOP alert system, which makes it possible to report a theft or loss within 24 hours.
Conduct
The operation generally takes place over a few days or weeks. Teams check crossings, inspect markets, warehouses and online sales, and communicate in real time with the coordination centre.
Accredited experts can be mobilized to identify suspect property on site.
Review and Follow-up
At the end of the operation, a quantified review is drawn up: property identified, seized, returned, proceedings initiated. Lessons learned are shared with all focal points.
Seized property may give rise to restitutions under the applicable agreements.
Roles in an Operation
| Actor | Role | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Customs | Inspection of goods | Border posts |
| Police | Investigation | Markets, warehouses |
| Cultural services | Identification | Museums, archaeologists |
| OIMAP | Coordination | Platform and experts |
Milestones
- First operation
Between two States.
- Shared platform
Secure exchanges.
- Online inspections
Digital sales.
- 23 operations
Annual record.
Confidentiality
One-off or Permanent Operation
One-off
A few weeks- Specific objective
- Dedicated team
- Quick review
For an identified threat.
Permanent
Lasting cooperation- Continuous exchange
- Mixed teams
- Regular monitoring
For a recurring risk.
Setting Up an Operation
- Analyse
The risks.
- Agree
On the framework.
- Designate
The coordinators.
- Act
In the field.
- Evaluate
The results.
Before Launching
A Brigade Chief
« Working with colleagues from another country on the same operation gave us a perspective we would never have had alone. »
Vocabulary
- Joint operation
- Coordinated action between several States.
- Risk analysis
- Assessment of threats.
- Seizure
- Taking possession of property.
- BIOP alert
- Report of theft or loss.
Respect for the Law
Operations respect the national law of each State: competences of services, conditions of seizure, data protection and rights of defence. A common legal framework specifies the arrangements for exchanging information.
No operation may take place without the prior agreement of the competent judicial authorities.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many operations in 2024?
23 coordinated operations.
Who leads?
The participating States, with OIMAP's support.
Is the data protected?
Yes, through a common legal framework.
How to take part?
See Focal Points.
Useful Documents
Contacts
Related pages
Bilateral AgreementsAgreements concluded between OIMAP and its Member States, or between Member States: restitution, customs training and joint operations.›
Restitution AgreementsThe bilateral framework for the return of cultural property: principles, stages, evidence and results, with 847 works returned.›
Customs Training AgreementsTraining customs officers to recognize cultural property: programme, formats and results, with 8,940 officers trained.›
National Focal PointsA designated contact in each Member State: the directory, the role and the annual plenary meetings.›
Contact your focal point
Image credits (17)
- Coronation of the Virgin, Christoffel Jegher (1632–36) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Chemin de fer de Toulouse à Bayonne. Pont de l'Aran (en trois arches de 17m d'ouverture chacune). Situation des travaux au 21 juillet 1861, Édouard Baldus (1861) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- The Dance at the Court of Herod, Israhel van Meckenem (c. 1500) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Seven Jeweled Mountain (late 1800s) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Portrait of John VIII Palaoelogus, Emperor of Constantinople, 1424-1428 (reverse), Pisanello (c. 1438–1439) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Mercury (Budha), from a Mandi Astrology Series, Sanju (c. 1810) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- The Victory Banquet: from Battle Scenes of the Quelling of Rebellions in the Western Regions, with Imperial Poems (c. 1765–74; poem dated 1760) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Arrival of the "Southern Barbarians" (c. 1600) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Carnet (1863–1865) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Seal Color Box (1662–1722) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- The Triumph of Mordecai, Lucas van Leyden (1515) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- The Apotheosis of Romulus: Design for a Ceiling, Domenico Maria Canuti (c. 1675–76) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Nuova pianta di Roma data in luce da Giambattista Nolli l’anno MDCCXLVII, known as La Pianta Grande di Roma, Giovanni Battista Nolli (1748) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Nuova pianta di Roma data in luce da Giambattista Nolli l’anno MDCCXLVII, known as La Pianta Grande di Roma, Giovanni Battista Nolli (1748) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Seal of Doge Michele Steno (reverse) (1400–1409) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- View of Venice, Jacopo de' Barbari (1500) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0
- Nuova pianta di Roma data in luce da Giambattista Nolli l’anno MDCCXLVII, known as La Pianta Grande di Roma, Giovanni Battista Nolli (1748) — Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 1.0