Celebrating a New Milestone- India- U.S.U.S. Cultural Property Agreement
The latest laurel to the ties between India and America has been delivered as a Cultural Property Agreement. To stop the illegal trade of Indian antiquities, both countries have taken a much-awaited step. Both countries agreed to the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Cultural and Educational Organizations (UNESCO) in New Delhi on 26 July 2024. The Agreement is expected to help the authorities bring back smuggled Indian artifacts impounded by American Customs.
Signatories of the Agreement
On the Indian side, Govind Mohan, Secretary of the Union Ministry of Culture, signed the Agreement. The American counterpart was Eric Garcetti, the American ambassador to India. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of Culture and Tourism, was also present when the two representatives signed the Agreement.
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What does it mean for the artifacts?
A year-long negotiation preceded the signing of the Agreement. India faced a long-standing issue regarding the retrieval of the stolen artifacts. The recent agreement will allow India to retrieve significant jewels and artifacts of immense historical and cultural value.
- The Agreement falls in line with the UNESCO Convention of 1970. This is an act for which both countries are part of.
- Under this new Agreement, the government of the United States is liable to return Indian artifacts mentioned in the Designated list of the US government as per the Cultural Property Agreement.
Some restrictions are in place for the import of certain materials to the USA. This is an essential aspect of the Cultural Property Agreement. They are:
- Archaeological Material—The importation of Identified archaeological material from 1.7 million years ago to the 1770 Common Era (C.E.C.E.) is banned.
- Ethnological Material—The import of identified ethnological material, including religious, civic, and royal architectural material, is prohibited.
- Religious materials and ceremonial items are also banned.
- Manuscripts- From the 2nd century BCE(Before the Common Era) to 1947 C.EC.E.
Why Illegal Trade of Indian Artifacts?
Some of the primary reasons for the development of illegal trade in Indian artifacts are:
- Demand—Indian artifacts have a very lucrative market outside the country. Due to this high demand, many people seek out Indian artifacts.
- Weaker Laws- Laws before the Agreement were relatively weaker in nabbing the culprits. With the new deal agreement, relocation of the items is possible. But how far it would be effective in stopping the illegal trade is yet to be assessed.
- Poverty- Artifacts are mainly transported from very poor localities in India. It is easy for smugglers to bribe the locals to smuggle these items abroad.
- Corruption- Another reason why the criminals behind smuggling can never be brought to justice.
- Globalization—In the globalized world, transporting goods is relatively easy. Artifacts from India reaching the U.S.U.S. are the most typical example of the connectivity between countries.
Government Priority
According to government sources, the preservation and protection of Indian artifacts have been a priority for the last decade. It has also been an integral part of foreign policy. The agreement that has been reached is proof of the efforts undertaken by the government to bring back the country’s rightful artifacts. Data from government sources showcase the rate at which artifacts have been repatriated. From 2014, around 345 artifacts are believed to have been repatriated.
International cooperation is perceived as a vital aspect of returning stolen artifacts. The Cultural Property Agreement could be the first step of many other initiatives to be followed by the government.
