International Relations Cultural Property Agreement with US

Subject : History

Section :Art and Culture

Concept :

Recently, as many as 105 trafficked antiquities have been returned to India by the United States.
The Ministry of Culture will sign a Cultural Property Agreement with the US for “smooth repatriation” of all such antiquities smuggled out of the country.

About:

Around 50 artefacts relate to religious subjects (Hinduism, Jainism and Islam) and the rest are of cultural significance.
These include;
A terracotta Yakshi plaque belonging to the 1st century BC, which was stolen from ‘eastern India’;
A red sandstone Dancing Ganesha from the 9th century, with its provenance in central India;
A 10th century Kubera, also belonging to central India, and several other valuable antiquities and objects in mediums such as marble, terracotta and sandstone.

Procedure of return

International organizations such as UNESCO and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime UNODC have been at the forefront of the fight against cultural heritage crimes.
Their combined expertise and global partnerships have led to the establishment of standard-setting instruments that enhance responses to and the protection against cultural theft.
The process involves the following steps:
Identification: Identify cultural properties that may have been wrongfully acquired or removed.
Legal and Ethical Considerations: Consider international conventions, national laws, and ethical guidelines pertaining to repatriation.
Collaboration and Negotiation: Collaborate and negotiate with the country of origin and the current possessor to reach an agreement.
Evidence and Documentation: Gather evidence and documentation supporting the claim for repatriation, such as historical records and provenance research.
Public Awareness and Advocacy: Raise public awareness and advocate for repatriation through campaigns and outreach efforts.
Restitution and Return: Arrange for the safe return of the cultural property to its country of origin, considering logistics and storage.
Future Preservation and Collaboration: Ensure the proper care, conservation, and display of the repatriated cultural property, and foster ongoing collaboration between the country of origin and international institutions.

International agreements

The 1970 UNESCO Convention: on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (hereafter, the 1970 Convention) mandate in the prevention of organised crime and cultural trafficking, and offer systematic tools to strengthen national capacity.
UN resolution 2347: Condemns the unlawful destruction of cultural heritage, including the destruction of religious sites and artefacts, and the looting and smuggling of cultural property from archaeological sites, museums, libraries, archives, and other sites, notably by terrorist groups.