​UNESCO is plunged into an artistic crisis

After yesterday's intense day of debate, UNESCO continued discussing the topic of Repatriating Artwork; The west's pending debt. The first session began with a reminder from some countries of their views on the issues discussed yesterday. This served as a background to an unmoderated caucus in which they proceeded to re-discuss the best solutions to the conflict dealt with in the committee.

As the chairs Julia Martyniewicz and Alberto Gómez explained to the delegations, their main objective on this day would be to be able to write their working papers (documents in which several countries come together to express common ideas and solutions) and then reach a resolution to the conflict.

However, at the beginning of the second session, the debate took a 360-degree turn due to a press release. This news informed delegations of a series of thefts of paintings in different European countries (including the UK, France, and the Netherlands) as well as in the USA orchestrated by an African terrorist organization. In addition, a subsequent communiqué from the terrorists reported that this crime was motivated by a demand to have their art repatriated in exchange for returning the stolen art pieces.

Consequently, the countries agreed that these acts of violence should not be justified or supported in any way. Also, the delegations expressed a shared concern that this act could be repeated. But in terms of possible solutions to the conflict, two opposing fronts were established: those countries that believed that giving in to the demands of this organization was the best option, and those that believed that the best way to approach the crisis was to work together and look for another solution without accepting the deal.

Nevertheless, shortly afterward, a communiqué from the chairs revealed that the countries of Egypt and Morocco were behind this terrorist organization. Their delegations then branded the countries concerned as hypocrites, since they said they did not support violent acts, but “that is the way they had been getting their hands on our artworks throughout history” defended the Egyptian delegation. As well, Cameroon expressed its belief that these attacks, although unacceptable, would serve to increase the empathy of the affected countries towards those who have been suffering from this problem since before.

After all this discussion, an unmoderated caucus was established in which delegations were able to share their ideas and opinions. However, the resulting statements about the crisis solution were not revealed until the third session Two statements were presented on the floor. The first one led by Egypt and Morrocco stated that these countries will return in the paintings when they receive a copy of an agreement that assures that their artwork will be returned to them as soon as possible. On the other hand, the statement sponsored by France, Japan, and Greece offered a legal treaty agreed upon through a peaceful dialogue that would ensure the return of the stolen objects as well as the repatriation of the works of art demanded by the terrorists. Moreover, it also suggested establishing specific conditions and deadlines for the return of the stolen paintings.

To finally bring the debate on the crisis to a close, delegations voted according to their support for these statements. With 23 votes in favor, 15 against, and two abstentions from Israel and Syria, the statement proposed by Japan and France was established as official.

Then, regarding the original topic, delegations were given time for discussion and managed to bring together their ideas for resolving the conflict in three different working papers. Later, thanks to a moderate debate, the Ethiopian delegation informed the other countries of a shared idea among several delegations that would six countries to the development of a single working paper that will summarize all of the ideas that had been expressed by all countries since the beginning of the SYMUN.

Thanks to several sessions of debate, the delegations had the time to consider this suggestion, reassure their own ideas, and shape the working papers that later they sent to the chairs. These documents will serve tomorrow as a basis for the final resolution that will end the debate on the repatriation of artworks.