Cultural property from an occupied territory (1954 UNESCO Convention)
It is prohibited in the Netherlands to import or have in one’s possession cultural property that was taken after 14 January 1959 from a territory occupied during an armed conflict.
The 1954 UNESCO Convention became legally binding in the Netherlands in 2007, with the adoption of the Cultural Property (Return from Occupied Territory) Act (also called Hague Convention). This Act has retroactive effect to 14 January 1959. The Netherlands became a party to this UNESCO Convention on 14 October 1958. In 2016 the Act was included in the Heritage Act, Chapter 6 paragraph 2.
Should a States Party to the 1954 Hague Convention have a request on the return of a cultural property from a territory occupied during armed conflict, the request can be brought through diplomatic channels, or send to the Minister of Culture of the Netherlands.