US returns 262 antiquities to India, signs agreement to curb illicit trade

New Delhi: The US government returned as many as 262 antiquities to India on its latest state visit and signed an agreement to curb illicit trade of culturally valuable property from India to the US, in New Delhi on Friday, a government press release said.

India and US signed the Cultural Property Agreement (CPA) to curb the illicit trade of antiquities, on the sidelines of the World Heritage Committee in the national capital.

Minister of culture and tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said the repatriation of trafficked antiquities was a practical investment in cultural diplomacy and sustainable development, empowering nations to leverage their cultural assets for educational enrichment, social cohesion, and economic empowerment, according to the press release.

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What is CPA?

The CPA restricts the import of certain archaeological material ranging in date from 1.7 million years ago through 1770 CE and certain ethnological material, which may include categories of civic, religious, and royal architectural material, religious material and ceremonial items, and manuscripts ranging in date from 2nd century BCE to 1947 CE into US, the press release said.

The list of such items restricted for import in the US will be promulgated by the US government. As per the agreement, the US shall offer to return to India any object or material on the Designate List forfeited to the US government.

The minister said that preservation and protection of Indian artefacts and cultural heritage has emerged as an integral component of India’s foreign policy over the last decade.

The deal background

The agreement signed today emerged out of the working group for culture in last year's G20 Summit, held under India's presidency, the minister said, according to the press release. The 'Kashi Culture Pathway’, the Outcome Document of the G20 Culture Working Group unanimously endorsed and called for a strengthened and effective global coalition to bolster the fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural property.

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In 2022, India reached out to the US government when the two nations were considering diplomatic ties under Article 9 of the 1970 Unesco Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. In 2023, US replied with suggestions to enter into an agreement.