UNIDROIT `Final Act' includes as annex I (a):


`Rare collections and specimens of fauna, flora, minerals and anatomy,
and objects of palaeontological interest'.

This is I think rather narrower than the definition in eg. the 1970
UNESCO Convention, but throughout the interpretation of definitions lies
primarily with the applicant State's internal priorities and definitions
- though I suppose that the responding State's courts might restrict the
definition if it was plainly absurd.  (Former UK Ministers have resisted
controls on eg. minerals or palaeontological specimens on the
totally spurious grounds that UK quarries would not be allowed to export a
single kilo of eg. gravel or stone lest a fossil or mineral crystal was
lurking in it!).

Patrick Boylan


======================================================

On Tue, 11 Jul 1995, Peter Rauch wrote:

> In article <Pine.SOL.3.91.950710115452.24998A-100000@swindon>,
> BOYLAN P  <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >The UNIDROIT International Convention on the International Return od
> >Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects was adopted ...
>
> Patrick,
> Were floral and faunal "curtural objects" included in the scope of
> objects, or were they left out (there was earlier discussion in UNIDROIT
> about whether these natural history objects [scientific biological
> specimens] should be included)?
> Peter
>