Research

Next to the organization of multi-disciplinary and international symposia (twice a year) and the participation to the “Studies in Art Law”, the Art-Law Centre’s research activities consist of the direction of PhD theses (five at present) and its involvement in various research studies.

In particular, the Art Law Centre conducts a research study supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) on "Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanisms and Cultural Property", one of its outcomes being the ArThemis database.

Furthermore, the Centre is engaged in the supervision of several theses.

Advisory Activity

The Centre also works as a consultant in various institutions in Switzerland (the Federal Office of Culture, cantonal museums and local cultural administrations, Swiss Commission for UNESCO, etc.) and international bodies (UNESCO, Unidroit, ICCROM, Council of Europe, European Commission and European Parliament) in the context of specific projects (UNESCO Committee of Experts, the Diplomatic Conference which led to the adoption of the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects, the negotiations for the adoption of the Council of Europe Convention on Offences relating to Cultural Property of 2017, etc.).

Documents / Links

Collaborative project UNESCO / European Commission  - final report

Cross-border restitution claims of art looted in armed conflicts and wars and alternatives to court litigations, april 2016

The legal and illegal trade in cultural property to and throughout europe: facts, findings and legal analysis -  UNESCO report, February 2018

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2016/556947/IPOL_STU(2016)556947_EN.pdf