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Cultural heritage in dangerBilateral agreementsOne of the most powerful deterrents to the destruction of cultural heritage caused by the global trade of illicit antiquities is the enactment and enforcement of international treaties. The UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property of 1970 (UNESCO Convention) limits the movement of stolen and looted cultural property. Under this Convention, more than 100 signatories join forces to protect of the world's shared cultural heritage. As the first major art-importing country to ratify the Convention, the U.S. signed into law the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act (CPIA) in 1983, enabling the U.S. government to enter into emergency and bilateral agreements to restrict the importation of specified objects that are in danger of being looted from archaeological sites. Bliateral agreements have been proven effective in stemming the flow of illicit antiquities. How does it work? When a country makes a request for a bilateral agreement, the U.S. President decides whether or not to enter into the agreement based on four determinations. The U. S. State Department has the authority to carry out the President's decision and determine whether import restrictions should be imposed. The State Department considers the recommendations of the Cultural Property Advisory Committee (CPAC), which consists of 11 private citizens. Appointed by the President, CPAC represents the interests of the museums, private collectors, dealers and the general public. Part of the review process includes public hearings in which any member of the public who can provide information pertaining to the four determinations may submit testimony in written statements as well as oral presentations. In other words, it is possible for any U. S. citizen to speak up and say NO TO LOOTING, YES TO BILATERAL AGREEMENTS. For more information about CPAC, please visit the U.S. State Department International Cultural Property Protection website.
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“As long as there are Etruscan tombs to be found, there’s going to be the risk of tombaroli [tomb raiders].” Maria Grazia Celuzza, Director of the Museo Diocesano of Grosseto, Italy
Thus far, the U.S. has entered into bilateral agreements with Bolivia, Cambodia, Colombia, Cyprus, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Italy, Mali, Nicaragua, and Peru. Click on map for information about each country's agreement.
SAFE supports bilateral agreements as an effective deterrent to the flow of illicit antiquities into the U.S., a major market country. We have created campaigns and testified on behalf of foreign countries wishing to enter into these agreements with the U.S.
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