Financial Contributions

Pages in this section

Portrait of Gianfrancesco Gonzaga di Ròdigo, 1443–1496, Lord of Sabbionetta (reverse), Antico (1479)

Scale of contributionsFive bands based on gross domestic product and the national art market, from €12,000 to €2.4M per year.›

Medal Commemorating Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry (1785-1819) and the Battle of Lake Erie, Moritz Fürst (1813)

Payment of contributionsDates, means of payment, reminders and instalment plans: how a State pays its annual contribution before 31 March.›

Provincial Coin: Head of Antoninus Pius (obverse); Apollo Sauroktonos (reverse) (138–161 CE)

Financial reportThe Organization's annual financial report: revenue, expenditure by programme, external audit and status of arrears.›

Funding based on solidarity

Sweet Melancholy, Joseph-Marie Vien (1756)

OIMAP is funded essentially by the annual contributions of its 67 Member States. Each State pays an amount set by a scale that takes account of its national wealth and the size of its art market. This mechanism guarantees the Organization's independence and the predictability of its budget.

This section presents the scale, the payment arrangements and the financial report published each year.

Candidate States will find the rules applying to their first contribution on the accession contributions page.

Contributions
Finance
Member States

Financial contributions in figures

5Scale bands

€12,000Minimum contribution per year (indicative)

€2.4MMaximum contribution per year (indicative)

31 MarchPayment deadline

Source: Member States Relations Directorate.

Three pages

Painting Enthusiasts at Auction House Bouillon, Honoré Daumier (1862, printed 1920)

CalculationScale

Five bands based on GDP and the market.

›

Medal: Loïe Fuller (obverse), Pierre Roche (1900)

ArrangementsPayment

Before 31 March.

›

TransparencyFinancial report

Revenue, expenditure, audit.

›

Distribution

State contributions80% (indicative)

Desk services12% (indicative)

Partnerships and projects8% (indicative)

Indicative structure of resources.

Plate: Diana and Acteon, Maestro Giorgio Andreoli (1522)

Seal of Doge Michele Steno (reverse) (1400–1409)

The principle of contributions

Contributions are due from all Member States, without exception. They fund the running of the Secretariat, the offices in Paris, Geneva, New York, Singapore and Nairobi, the Desk services, training programmes and technical cooperation.

The amount is set by the General Assembly, which adopts the budget and the scale. Each State has one vote, whatever the level of its contribution: financial participation confers no additional right.

A scale in five bands

The scale combines two criteria: the State's gross domestic product and the weight of its art market. It divides States into five bands, from the most modest to the highest. The minimum contribution is €12,000 per year and the maximum €2.4 million (indicative amounts).

This progressive structure allows smaller States to participate fully while ensuring that the largest markets bear a proportionate share.

The annual calendar

The budget cycle follows the calendar year. Contribution notices are sent in January. Payment is expected before 31 March, by transfer or direct debit. A reminder is sent in April to States that have not paid.

The accounts for the financial year are closed the following spring, submitted to an external audit and then presented to the General Assembly. The financial report is then published.

Transparency and oversight

Each year the Organization publishes a detailed financial report: revenue, expenditure by programme, status of arrears. The accounts are audited by an independent firm, appointed by the General Assembly for a limited term to guarantee its impartiality.

States may question the Member States Relations Directorate about the use of their contribution, and focal points receive an individual statement of their position.

Annual contribution cycle

The four stages of the financial year
Stage	Period	Responsible party
Contribution notice	January	Secretariat
Payment	Before 31 March	Member States
External audit	Spring	Independent firm
Financial report	Annual publication	Secretariat

Milestones

2007
First scale
Adopted by the 23 founding States.
2013
Five bands
The scale is overhauled.
2019
Direct debit
Payment by direct debit is introduced.
2024
67 contributors
All States are up to date with their commitments (indicative).

Coin of Kushan King Vasudeva I (c. 142/145+)

Aureus: Bust of Claudius I (obverse); Triumphal Arch with Equestrian Statue and Trophies (reverse) (47–48 CE)

Indicative amounts

Bank transfer or direct debit

Fish or Seal Club (X’ús’) (late 1800s–early 1900s)

Bank transfer

Initiated by the State

Flexibility
Reference to quote
Monitored by the Secretariat

For most States.

Rose Ryal: James I (obverse); Shield of Arms (reverse) (1619–20)

Direct debit

Automatic

Fixed date
Fewer reminders
Mandate to sign

To secure the timetable.

Paying one's contribution

Receive
The contribution notice.
Check
The notified amount.
Authorize
The payment.
Settle
Before 31 March.
Keep
The acknowledgement of receipt.

For the focal point and the ministry of finance

A financial director in government

Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple, Rembrandt van Rijn (1635) — **Marc-Aurèle Duquesne**, financial director of a ministry (example)

Financial vocabulary

Contribution: Annual sum due from a State.
Scale: Table setting the amounts.
Band: Level on the scale.
Arrears: Contribution unpaid at the due date.

Payment difficulties

A State facing a temporary difficulty may request an instalment plan. The request is examined sympathetically by the Directorate, which proposes a settlement plan over several months. The Organization always prefers dialogue to sanction.

However, a delay of more than twenty-four months results in the loss of voting rights, as explained in the rules on suspension.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who sets the scale?

The General Assembly.

When to pay?