The Impact of the UNIDROIT Convention on international case law and practice : an appraisal

This article aims at highlighting the role played by the 1995 Unidroit Convention in orienting the development of principle applicable in the international practice of restitution and return of cultural property. In order to appreciate the real impact of this Convention, the investigation takes into account the international practice beyond its subjective scope of application, including the influence on the 2014 EU Directive on the return of cultural objects unlawfully removed from the territory of a Member State, as well as on the case law of third States jurisdictions.