India-US Cultural Property Agreement | 01 Aug 2024

Source: PIB

Recently, India and the US signed the first-ever Cultural Property Agreement (CPA) to combat the illegal trafficking of cultural artefacts and ensure the return of antiquarian objects to their place of origin.

The agreement aligns with the Article 9 of the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.
The CPA restricts the importation into the US of certain archaeological and ethnological material ranging from 1.7 million years ago through 1947. The list of such items restricted for import will be promulgated by the Government of the US.
- The US shall offer to return to India any object or material on the Designate List forfeited to the Government of the US.
- Similar agreements exist between the US and countries like Algeria, Cambodia, China, Egypt, and Italy.
The agreement is the result of year-long bilateral discussions initiated during the G20 meetings. Under India’s G20 Presidency, the focus on protecting cultural property has been a top priority.
- The Kashi Culture Pathway and the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration (NDLD) in 2023 underscored the commitment to fighting illicit trafficking.
It marks a shift in the global development strategy, emphasising culture as a standalone goal in the post-2030 development framework.