ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

ICOM Releases Red List Brazil to Combat Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Heritage

cultural-heritage · 2026-04-23

In February, the International Council of Museums (ICOM) introduced the Red List Brazil, which highlights at-risk cultural assets such as fossils, sacred artworks, maps, books, and ethnographic artifacts. The unveiling took place at the Museu da Língua Portuguesa and included remarks from ICOM president Emma Nardi, Culture Minister Margareth Menezes, and ICOM Brazil president Renata Motta. Since 2000, ICOM has released 20 Red Lists covering 57 nations. ICOM Brazil's Roberta Saraiva pointed out that only 48 out of 1,974 missing Brazilian items have been retrieved. Interpol places Brazil 26th in terms of trafficked goods. The Red List supports federal entities like Receita Federal and Polícia Federal in identifying vulnerable categories. Preparation for this initiative began in 2021, identifying five high-risk types, including pre-colonial Amazonian artifacts.

Key facts

  • ICOM launched the Red List Brazil in February to combat illegal cultural property trade.
  • The list identifies fossils, sacred art, maps, books, and ethnographic/archaeological items as vulnerable.
  • Only 48 of 1,974 missing Brazilian objects have been recovered, according to Iphan data.
  • Interpol ranks Brazil as the 26th country with the highest number of trafficked cultural goods.
  • The Red List serves as a tool for Brazilian federal agencies like Receita Federal and Polícia Federal.
  • Preparation involved experts from 2021, focusing on legally protected, vulnerable, and high-demand items.
  • ICOM works with UNESCO, UNIDROIT, Interpol, and WCO for international dissemination and restitution.
  • Pre-colonial Amazonian archaeological artifacts are among the most targeted categories.

Entities

Institutions

  • Conselho Internacional de Museus (ICOM)
  • Museu da Língua Portuguesa
  • Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional (Iphan)
  • Interpol (The International Criminal Police Organization)
  • Receita Federal
  • Polícia Federal
  • Instituto Brasileiro de Museus (Ibram)
  • Ministério da Cultura (MINC)
  • Fundação Biblioteca Nacional (FBN)
  • Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia da USP (MAE)
  • Museu de Ciências da Terra (MCT)
  • Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)
  • Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ)
  • Museu Nacional (MN)
  • Museu Regional Casa dos Ottoni (MRCO)
  • UNESCO
  • UNIDROIT
  • World Customs Organization (WCO)
  • Itaú Cultural
  • Instituto Moreira Salles
  • INTERPOL
  • Agência Nacional de Mineração (AMN)
  • Instituto Brasileiro dos Museus (Ibram)
  • WCO (Organização Mundial de Aduanas)
  • UNODC (Escritório das Nações Unidas sobre Drogas e Crime)

Locations

  • Brazil
  • São Paulo
  • Minas Gerais
  • Rio de Janeiro
  • Ukraine
  • Russia
  • Paris
  • France

Sources