India, U.S. sign agreement to protect cultural heritage

The agreement prevents illegal trade of cultural property and facilitates return of stolen antiquities to country of origin

U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti and Union Culture Secretary Govind Mohan signed the U.S.-India Cultural Property Agreement on the sidelines of the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee, in New Delhi on July 26, 2024. | Photo Credit: PTI

India and the U.S. on July 26 signed a cultural property agreement aimed at enhancing cooperation to protect cultural heritage of the two countries.

Cultural property agreements prevent the illegal trade of cultural property and simplify the process by which looted and stolen antiquities may be returned to their country of origin.

The U.S.-India Cultural Property Agreement was signed by U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti and Union Culture Secretary Govind Mohan in the presence of Minister of Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the U.S. Embassy said in a statement.

“The agreement comes after nearly two years of diligent work by experts from both countries and fulfils President (Joe) Biden’s and Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi’s commitment to enhance cooperation to protect cultural heritage highlighted in the joint statement issued after their meeting in June 2023,” it said.

“The United States has been unwavering in its commitment to protect and preserve cultural heritage worldwide and to restrict trafficking in cultural property,” the statement added.

“This cultural property agreement is about two things. First and foremost, it’s about justice – returning to India and to Indians, what is rightfully theirs. Secondly, it’s about connecting India with the world. Every American and every global citizen deserves to know, see, and experience the culture that we celebrate here today. To know Indian culture is to know human culture,” Ambassador Garcetti said.

With this agreement, India joins the ranks of 29 existing U.S. bilateral cultural property agreement partners. The U.S.-India Cultural Property Agreement was negotiated by the State Department under the U.S. law implementing the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.