Our Insights
Featured Insights Selected by Our Experts
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Nature as National Asset: How the Middle East Is Turning Biodiversity into Economic Opportunity
By Basilinna Deborah Lehr, Chair and CEO.
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Trump 2.0
Tholos Talks with The Trade Guys, Hosted by Jake E. Jennings
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China Economic Stimulus Tracker
A comprehensive timeline of announcements and policy actions implemented by the Chinese government to stimulate economic activity.
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When Mistakes Need a Manual: China’s Guidance on Acceptable Decision-making
By Deborah Lehr, Basilinna Chair and CEO
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Silicon and Sovereignty: What Trump’s AI Pact Means for the Gulf
Talking Points by the Basilinna Team
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Why Do Culture and Heritage Matter? with Irina Bokova
Tholos Talks with Irina Bokova, Hosted by Deborah Lehr
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Is Xi Jinping Undermining China’s Path to Tech Superiority?
By Deborah Lehr, Chair and CEO
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Making Acquisitions in the Public Affairs Sector: Lessons from Both Sides of the Table
By Leigh Wedell, President and COO
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Trade is No Longer a Way of Opening Up Markets
With Deborah Lehr, Chair and CEO
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From the Middle Kingdom to the Saudi Kingdom: Opportunities Abound
By Yasser Elnaggar, Chair of the Middle East and Africa
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The New Trump Administration: Perspective from China
Talking Points by Gracie Sun, Chair of Asia-Pacific
Explore all of our Insights, Interviews, Commentary, and More
The Latchford Network and Following the Trail of Loot
September 10, 2025 | Hosted by Deborah Lehr, Chair and CEO
Deborah welcomes back Tess Davis, Executive Director of The Antiquities Coalition, to discuss the story of Douglas Latchford, a notorious antiquities trafficker, and why his story is central to understanding the global illicit antiquities trade. The conversation explores Latchford’s background, how he built a vast smuggling network over a 50-year criminal career, and the devastating impact of his actions on Cambodia’s cultural heritage.
China’s Safeguarding of Cultural Heritage Signals Its Global Ambition
August 14, 2025 | Deborah Lehr, Chair and CEO
China is making its cultural heritage protection a national priority – and a pillar of its global identity. As one of the world’s fastest-growing art markets, China has taken steps in recent years to better safeguard its cultural heritage, both at home and abroad.
Recovering Looted Artifacts and Turning the Tide on Antiquities Trafficking
May 27, 2025 | Hosted by Deborah Lehr, Chair and CEO
In episode four of Understanding the Thriving Trade in Looted Antiquities — a Tholos Talks series that explores the global repercussions of the antiquities trade — Deborah talks to JP Labbat, a leading expert in cultural heritage protection, to discuss the evolving fight against antiquities trafficking and the recovery of stolen artifacts.
Heritage in Crisis: The Changing Role of Museums
May 15, 2025 | Hosted by Deborah Lehr, Chair and CEO
In episode three of Understanding the Thriving Trade in Looted Antiquities — a Tholos Talks series exploring the global repercussions of the antiquities trade — Deborah welcomes Richard Kurin, an American cultural anthropologist, museum official, and author, to discuss the evolving role of museums in preserving heritage, combating the illicit trade in antiquities, and serving as vital sources of public knowledge.
The Dark Side of the Art Market: The Illicit Trade
April 21, 2025 | Hosted by Deborah Lehr, Chair and CEO
Deborah sits down with Tess Davis, Executive Director of The Antiquities Coalition and Basilinna Executive Director, to bring her unique perspective with an extensive history in fighting this form of cultural racketeering. Tess and Deborah discuss the cultural romanticization of artifact trafficking, the broader implications of cultural racketeering, and how we can collectively work towards preserving our shared history, and the impact of looted antiquities on global security.
Why Do Culture and Heritage Matter?
March 31, 2025 | Hosted by Deborah Lehr, Chair and CEO
In our premiere episode, Deborah Lehr, Basilinna CEO, and founder of the Antiquities Coalition, sits down with Ambassador Irina Bokova to kick off our series on culture and discuss a fundamental question: What is the role of culture, and does it matter?
Protecting Heritage through Partnership: Why U.S. Antiquities CPAs are Essential for At-Risk Nations
December 16, 2024 | Deborah Lehr, Chair and CEO
In a world where cultural artifacts can be plundered from archaeological sites, whisked away across borders, and then laundered onto the black market within just days or even hours, nations need robust, collaborative strategies to fight back. The United States has taken a step toward addressing this problem by signing cultural property agreements (CPAs) with countries threatened by the illicit antiquities trade.
Lost Treasures: Crisis and Guardianship
October 17, 2024 | Deborah Lehr, Chair and CEO and Tess Davis, Executive Director
For centuries, the looting and trafficking of antiquities have never ceased. Yet the strength humanity shows in safeguarding its heritage is no less than the creative power of its ancestors. At the 4th Dialogue of the C.E.A. Museums Cooperation Initiative, Deborah Lehr, Chair and CEO of Basilinna and Founder of the Antiquities Coalition, and Tess Davis, Basilinna and Antiquities Coalition Executive Director, both focused on the astonishing creativity of museums as guardians of culture.
A Discussion on Cultural Artifacts
September 18, 2024 | Deborah Lehr, Chair and CEO, and Leigh Wedell, President and COO
Deborah Lehr, Chair and CEO of Basilinna and Chairman of the Board of Antiquities Coalition, and Tess Davis, Executive Director at Basilinna and Antiquities Coalition, discuss the importance of detecting, identifying, reporting, and understanding how cultural artifacts can be used to move illicit funds.
The U.S. Art Market is a Sanctions Black Hole
February 28, 2024 | Deborah Lehr, Chair and CEO
On February 23, a day before the second anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine and a week after the suspected murder of Alexei Navalny, President Joe Biden imposed over 500 new sanctions targeting “Russia’s war machine”.