India -US sign Agreement to curb illegal trade in Indian antiquities

India and the United States of America have signed a Cultural Property Agreement to stop the illegal trade in Indian antiquities in the United States of America (USA). The agreement was signed on the sidelines of 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 will help bring back smuggled Indian artefacts impounded by the American Customs. 

Who signed the Agreement?

The agreement was signed by Govind Mohan, Secretary, Union Ministry of Culture, and the American ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, in the presence of the Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

About the significance of the Agreement 

The signing of the agreement culminated a year-long negotiation between the governments of India and the USA.

The agreement is in line with the  UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property 1970, of which both India and the USA are members.

Under the Cultural Property Agreement the USA government will return to India any Indian artefacts which have been mentioned in the Designated list of the USA government as per the Cultural Property Agreement.

The Cultural Property Agreement restricts the import of certain materials to the USA. It includes:  

• Identified archaeological material from 1.7 million years ago to  1770 Common Era (CE),
• Identified ethnological material, such as religious, civic, and royal architectural material, religious material and ceremonial items, and manuscripts, from the 2nd century BCE(Before the Common Era) to 1947 CE. 

Government Priority to bring back stolen Indian antiquities 

According to the Union Cultural Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the preservation and protection of Indian artefacts and cultural heritage have been an integral part of the Narendra Modi government’s foreign policy over the last decade. 

The government has actively worked to bring back stolen Indian artefacts from various parts of the world. 

Since 1976, India has repatriated 358 antiquities, of which 345 have been retrieved since 2014.