The ILI team co-organized an international event with participation from experts around the world
On April 23, an international expert meeting took place, focusing on the role of the art market in modern sanctions policy, the use of art as a potential tool for sanctions evasion, and practical mechanisms for identifying sanctions risks in the field of cultural assets.
The event brought together representatives of the international legal community, sanctions experts, financial compliance specialists, art market representatives, think tanks, civil society organizations, and Ukrainian state institutions, including the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine. Participants discussed how art and cultural assets are increasingly becoming part of sanctions policy, international security, and asset tracking frameworks.
The Institute of Legislative Ideas co-organized this international expert discussion. Representing ILI, Project Manager Anastasiia Petsenchuk took part in the meeting and, in her opening remarks, outlined the importance of this topic for Ukraine in the broader context of sanctions policy, asset tracking, combating illicit financial flows, and protecting cultural heritage.
“Today, art is increasingly moving beyond being purely a cultural issue and is becoming part of a broader sanctions and security discussion. At the same time, this meeting is important not only as a professional exchange but also as a practical step toward strengthening international cooperation between Ukraine and the United Kingdom in sanctions enforcement and accountability in the field of cultural assets,” the ILI expert noted.
During the discussion, the Ukrainian side emphasized the challenges of advancing international sanctions cases against individuals involved in the illegal movement of cultural property, activities in occupied territories, cultural propaganda, and the use of the cultural sphere as a tool of Russian state policy.
Participants explored how art can be used to covertly move assets, why cultural property remains a vulnerable area for sanctions enforcement, and what difficulties arise when advancing sanctions cases related to the cultural sector internationally.
Particular attention was paid to evidentiary issues: how to build cases that withstand scrutiny across jurisdictions, why international regulators often require different standards of proof, and how to combine sanctions law, due diligence, and intelligence gathering.
The meeting also featured Bernard, a modern AI solution that helps analyze art assets, object market history, and potential sanctions risks, as well as its potential application in developing the public database sanctions.art.
One of the key conclusions of the meeting was the need to develop bottom-up cooperation—collaboration through professional art market networks, dealer associations, and international professional communities. This approach enables faster information sharing, builds trust in evidence, and strengthens the practical effectiveness of sanctions mechanisms.
For Ukraine, such discussions are particularly important in the context of documenting the незаконного movement of cultural property from occupied territories, working with sanctions cases, and enhancing international cooperation in the protection of cultural heritage.