OBJECTIVES OF THE FORUM

The Vilnius International Forum on Holocaust-Era Looted Cultural Assets was build on the work of the 1997 London Conference on Nazi Gold, the 1998 Washington Conference on Holocaust - Era Assets, and the 2000 Stockholm International Forum on the Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research.


It concentrated specifically on cultural assets and implemented Resolution No.1205 (1999) “Looted Jewish Cultural Property” of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe [ Emanuelis Zingeris, Rapporteur], which called for an European Conference to discuss the return of looted cultural property.


It reviewed and discussed challenges in the implementation of the Washington Conference Principles on Nazi - Confiscated Art.


The Vilnius Forum was being convened to discuss legal, historical, archival and museum-related problems related to the search, identification, and restitution of plundered cultural artifacts enabling experts from various countries better to evaluate activities and future undertakings of various disparate databanks and restitution organizations. The challenge of the conference was to establish global transparency of archival databases and museum collections.

In addition to plenary sessions, workshops was held on the following topics:

 
A Access to Archives Concerning Holocaust - Era Looted Cultural Property 
B Museum Collections: Provenance and restitution of Holocaust-Era Looted Works
C Private Ownership and the Art Trade in Regard to Holocaust - Era Looted Cultural Assets
D Looted Holocaust - Era Archives, Libraries and Judaica


National delegations and participants of the Vilnius Forum were invited:

 

· to present information on specific accomplishments in identification of looted cultural artifacts of Holocaust victims and on the current status of efforts to implement their return to rightful owners. States and participants may also discuss continuing problems they face and possible solutions;

 
· to share experience in restoration of “plundered pasts,” of practical effects of legal regulations covering the search, identification, and return of cultural assets of Holocaust victims;

 
· to discuss needs for politicians, lawyers, historians, and museum curators in various countries to disseminate information on the collection of the cultural assets of Holocaust victims in order to
1) facilitate their return to the general cultural context of their provenance and
2) to evaluate the activities of member states of the Council of Europe as well as of collectors, auctioneers, and museums in the fulfillment of recommendations and resolutions adopted by the Council;

 
· to discuss the problem of the intellectual property of Holocaust victims, including the possibility of setting up a unified archival data base widely accessible from various countries;


 
· to formulate a general declaration by participants to be used in establishing a legal framework to implement prior resolutions on cultural policy, legislation, museum administration, and archival work.