UNESCO has partnered with the Art-Law Centre at the University of Geneva to promote their ArThemis database, wanting to provide innovative methods and multiple solutions for the restitution of cultural property.

The work of the Art-Law Centre is devoted to alternative ways of resolving disputes over cultural property, and the ArThemis database is the result of its research, which continues today as part of the UNESCO Chair of International Law for the Protection of Cultural Heritage at the University of Geneva. In addition to a wide range of research possibilities, such as the type of object sought, the chronological context, or the issue as it relates to the law, it covers cases resolved by judicial means or alternative dispute resolution methods.

ArThemis, an open access tool, allows everyone involved, from legal practitioners to researchers and academics, to have a reference point for all methods of dispute resolution.

ArThemis, a valuable tool, provides detailed cases resolved by judicial decision, demonstrating the awareness of judges in the field of art law and the restitution of cultural property. These files also reveal the limits of judicial decisions and give an overview of how procedural and substantive issues are resolved by the courts. ArThemis also contains information relating to alternative methods which have enabled goods to be returned.

A pragmatic approach is preferred by ArThemis, taking account of the origin of cultural goods and the ethical, historical, cultural, financial and legal interests involved. This brings an innovative perspective to the fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural goods.