The Government of India and the Government of the United States of America signed the first ever ‘Cultural Property Agreement’ to prevent and curb the illicit trafficking of antiquities from India to the USA, today, the 26th July, 2024 on the sidelines of the 46th World Heritage Committee, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The agreement was signed by Govind Mohan, Secretary, Ministry of Culture and H.E. Eric Garcetti, Ambassador of the United States of America to India in the august presence of Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
The Cultural Property Agreement (CPA) is aligned with the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, to which both countries are States party. The Illicit trafficking of cultural property is a longstanding issue that has affected many cultures and countries throughout history. A large number of antiquities have been smuggled out of Bharat before the ratification of 1970 UNESCO Convention, and which are now housed in various museums, institutions and private collections across the world.
Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that the CPA is another step towards securing India’s rich and diverse cultural heritage and invaluable artifacts of our grand history. It is the beginning of a new chapter to prevent the illegal trafficking of cultural property and retrieval of antiquarian objects to their place of origin.
The Minister emphasized that preservation and protection of the Indian artefacts and cultural heritage has emerged as an integral component of India’s foreign policy over the last decade. The Government of India, under the leadership of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has been committed towards this issue, and has adopted a proactive approach towards bringing back Indian artifacts from various parts of the world. India has repatriated 358 antiquities since 1976, out of these 345 have been retrieved since 2014, the Minister informed.
