Archaeological objects transferred to Ukraine to be investigated
On Monday 26 November, the Cultural Heritage Inspectorate transferrred a number of archaeological objects to the Ambassador of Ukraine in the Netherlands to have them examined in Kiev.
If, as a result of the investigation, it is shown that the objects belong to the protected heritage of Ukraine or that they were unlawfully exported from Ukraine, the objects shall be returned to Ukraine definitively. The objects, including arrow- and spearheads, knives and two rings, were previously intercepted by the Dutch Customs. They had been sent from Ukraine to recipients in the Netherlands. The adressees have confirmed to cooperate with a possible return.
Both the Netherlands and Ukraine are State Parties to the 1970 UNESCO Convention to prevent illegal export, import and transfer of ownership of cultural goods. The Dutch Heritage Act (2016) prohibits the import of cultural goods in the Netherlands if they are protected in another state party and were exported illegally from that country. The export of archaeological objects almost always requires special permission, but other categories of cultural goods can also be legally protected. In the Netherlands, Customs and the Heritage Inspectorate cooperate in supervising cross-border traffic in cultural goods.
