Schedule

Opening Remarks

Tess DAVIS (Executive Director, The Antiquities Coalition)

H.E. PHOEURNG Sackona (Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, Kingdom of Cambodia)

H.E. PRAK Sokhonn (Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Cambodia)

Case Study: The Ongoing Quest to Bring Home Cambodia’s Looted Treasures

Jason FELCH (Author), Moderator

Eric BOURDONNEAU, (Lecturer, History and Archeology of Ancient Cambodia, EFEO)*

Jessica FEINSTEIN (Co-Chief, Money Laundering & Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York)

Bradley J. GORDON (Founder, Edenbridge Asia)

H.E. HAB Touch (Secretary of State, Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Cambodia)

HUOT Samnang (Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Cambodia)

KONG Vireak (Deputy Director General, General Departments of Cultural Heritage, Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Cambodia)

Special Agent John-Paul LABBAT (Special Agent, Homeland Security Investigations, United States)

Over the past decade, an international coalition has joined forces to find, recover, and bring home masterpieces that were looted during Cambodia’s decades of armed conflict. This panel, including archaeologists, attorneys, investigators, and government officials on the front lines of the fight, will share an overview of their groundbreaking successes. Speakers will discuss the various challenges they have faced, lessons learned, and where they hope to go from here.

Continuation of Case Study and Discussion

Continuation of Case Study from Cambodia: Understanding the Problem

Teruo JENAI (Advisor, Royal Government of Cambodia), Moderator

H.E. HAB Touch (Secretary of State, Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Cambodia)

Helen JARVIS (Advisor, Royal Government of Cambodia)

Simon MACKENZIE (Professor of Criminology and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand)*

Speakers will illuminate how the illicit trade is stealing entire chapters of our shared history, as well as harming legitimate markets, local communities, national economies, and global security.

Expert Panel: Strengthening the Law and Law Enforcement

Tess DAVIS (Executive Director, The Antiquities Coalition), Moderator

Steven GALLAGHER (Associate Dean, Chinese University of Hong Kong)*

Luigi MARINI (Justice and Secretary General of the Italian High Court, Republic of Italy)*

H.E. SUM Sokhamphou (Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Interior, Cambodia)

Soklida TEK (Senior Associate, Edenbridge Asia)

The law is the first line of defense against the illicit trade in art and artifacts, as well as many other threats to cultural heritage, but it is not yet being used to its full advantage. Attorneys and law enforcement will discuss how governments can better use the justice system to protect their sites and collections from looters and traffickers—as well as recover their stolen objects from the global black market.

Expert Panel: The Future of the Art Market and Museums

Bradley J. GORDON (Founder, Edenbridge Asia), Moderator

Bronwyn CAMPBELL (Senior Curator, Provenance, National Gallery of Australia)

CHHAY Visoth (Director of the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Cambodia)

Marc-Andre RENOLD (Professor of Art and Cultural Heritage Law, University of Geneva)*

Chase ROBINSON (Director of Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art)*

Ashley THOMPSON (Hiram W Woodward Chair of Southeast Asian Art, SOAS University of London)*

Responsible cultural exchange can fight looting and trafficking by fostering mutual understanding, appreciation, and respect. The lawful and ethical collection and trade in art can do the same, so long as it does not harm local communities, disrupt the historical record, or fund crime and conflict. Speakers will explore how governments can partner with the market and museums to safeguard cultural heritage, while sharing their thoughts on the evolving roles of these institutions in the 21st century.

Expert Panel: Building Bridges Through Repatriation

Larry SCHWARTZ, (Advisor, Antiquities Coalition), Moderator

H.E. HAB Touch (Secretary of State, Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Cambodia)

Vijay KUMAR (Co-Founder, India Pride Project)

MEAS Sopheap (Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Cambodia)*

Melody ROD-ARI (Associate Professor of Art History at Loyola Marymount University)*

Repatriation can serve as a bridge between cultures, and moreover, an opportunity to right past wrongs. However, the process is often challenging for all involved, including local communities, national governments, and museums. Curators, scholars, and advocates will discuss lessons learned from notable examples of repatriations in Southeast Asia and beyond.

Expert Panel: Safeguarding Collections and Sites

Ginevra BOATTO (Representative for Southeast Asia, World Monuments Fund)

Dennis AHERN (Head of Security, Royal College of Art)

LJ HARTMAN (Vice President, LACMA)

IM Sokhrithy (Department Director, Conservation of Monuments in Angkor Park and Preventive Archaeology)

PHENG Sam Oeun (Deputy Director General, National Authority for Preah Vihear, Cambodia)

Southeast Asia is home to a rich ancient history that stretches back millennia–much of which is still waiting to be discovered and studied by archaeologists. The region is also home to priceless museum collections. This cultural heritage has great artistic, historic, and often religious value to local communities and even entire nations. How can we better protect it from criminals, while continuing to share it responsibly with the world? Experts in archaeology, conservation, and security will discuss.

Expert Panel: Economic Opportunities and the Impact of Heritage Tourism

Masanori NAGAOKA (Culture Programme Specialist, UNESCO Phnom Penh), Moderator

Joyce CLARK (Chairperson, Heritage Watch)

LONG Kosal (Deputy Director General, APSARA National Authority, Cambodia)

Nathalie PAARLBERG (Director, Turquoise Mountain Myanmar)*

UN Monimita (Khmer Heritage Organization)

As ASEAN Member States consider how to best rebuild their economies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an unprecedented opportunity to harness the power of cultural heritage, by creating new and innovative economic opportunities for heritage tourism. Such initiatives can also support–financially and otherwise–the protection of cultural sites and local communities alike. A diverse group of experts will discuss best practices for sustainable development and responsible tourism, drawing from examples across Southeast Asia.

Expert Panel: Cultural Diplomacy and International Cooperation

Curtis CHIN (Milken Institute Asia, Chairman and former ADB board member), Moderator

Eric CATALFAMO (Director of Cultural Heritage, U.S. Department of State)

David GOSSETT (Founder, China-Europe-America Initiative)*

H.E LY Vanna (National Committee for World Heritage, Cambodia)

H.E PEN Moni Makara (Secretary of State, Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Cambodia)

Sanjeev SANYAL (Member, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India)*

Political leaders and policymakers will discuss how the fight against illicit trade can strengthen diplomatic ties.

International Plenum

Opening Remarks from H.E. PHOEURNG Sackona (Minister of Culture, Cambodia) and Sardar Umar Alum (UNESCO Representative Phnom Penh).

Heads of Delegation and Intergovernmental Organizations may share their experiences in promoting cultural property protection, and exchange views on opportunities for collaboration in mitigating illicit trafficking of cultural properties. Representatives of each country, state and organization will have a 5min time slot for intervention.

ASEAN Member States:

Brunei

Indonesia

Laos

Malaysia

Myanmar

Philippines

Singapore

Thailand

Vietnam

Plus Three:

China

Japan

The Republic of Korea

Other Countries:

Australia

France

Nigeria

The EU

The UK

The United States of America

IGOs & NGOs

UNESCO Phnom Penh

UNIDROIT (recorded remarks)

ICAHM

WCO (recorded remarks)

The Antiquities Coalition

Blue Shield (recorded remarks)

Heritage for Peace (virtual participation)

ALIPH (virtual participation)

Co-Chair by H.E. PHOEURNG Sackona (Minister of Culture, Cambodia) and Sardar Umar Alum (UNESCO Representative from Phnom Penh)

ASEAN Senior Officials Session

ASEAN Ministerial Session

Visit to Koh Ker

Guided tour of the historical site, and discussion on the history of looting and the progress made to recover cultural treasures.

Transportation and lunch will be provided.