The Cultural Property Advisory Committee will meet September 19-20 in Chicago to review a proposed extension of the U.S. cultural property agreement with the Government of the Republic of Honduras and a request for import restrictions by the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. The Committee invites the public to comment on these proposals and to participate via video conference in the virtual open session.
The State Department follows the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act (CPIA) when considering cultural property agreements and import restrictions. Requested categories of material will be considered if they meet the criteria for archaeological and ethnological materials in the CPIA.
Nepal
Protection is sought for archaeological material from 32,000 BCE to 1770 CE, including stone (such as tools and sculptures), metal (sculptures and coins), terracotta, leather (Lichhavi coins from the 5th through 9th centuries CE), and inscriptions and manuscripts on parchment, birch, and palm leaf. The ethnological materials for which protection is sought span from the 13th century to 1950 and include objects made from stone (sculptures, inscriptions, reliefs, mosaics, and architectural elements); metal (sculptures, inscriptions, and coins); ceramics (sculptures, architectural elements, reliefs, coins, and ceremonial items); wood (statues, reliefs, and architectural elements including struts and turanas); parchment, paper, palm, or birch leaf (manuscripts, sometimes illuminated or painted); paintings, such as thangka paintings (an extremely ornate, colorful and precise style of Buddhist painting that typically depicts a deity or mandala). Requested object types also include sacred icons and frescoes, particularly from the 13th through 18th centuries. Protection is additionally sought for traditional clothing, religious vestments, and ceremonial paraphernalia in different materials.
Honduras
Extending the Honduras agreement would continue import restrictions on pre-Columbian archaeological material in ceramic, stone/stucco, metal, shell, and bone, dating from approximately 1200 B.C. to A.D. 1500. Extending the Honduras agreement would also continue import restrictions on ecclesiastical ethnological material including sculpture, paintings, and metal objects, dating from approximately A.D. 1502 to 1821. The Government of Honduras has not requested additional categories of material.
Public Comments
The public may provide written comment in advance of the meeting and/or register to speak in the virtual open session scheduled for September 19, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. CDT (please note the time zone).
Public comments on the cultural property agreements should focus on the four determinations in the CPIA.
How to submit written comments: Use regulations.gov, enter the docket DOS-2023-0023 and follow the prompts to submit written comments. Written comments must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. (EDT) on September 12, 2023.
How to make oral comments: Make oral comments during the virtual open session on September 19, 2023 (instructions below). Requests to speak must be submitted no later than September 12, 2023.
Join the Virtual Open Session
The virtual open session of the Committee meeting will be held on September 19, 2023, at 1:00 pm CDT by videoconference (please note the time zone).
To Speak: Registered participants can speak and may be asked questions by the Committee. If you wish to register to speak you must submit your name and organizational affiliation in an email request to culprop@state.gov by September 12. After you pre-register you will receive an email response with a unique link and instructions on how to participate. Due to time constraints, each participant will have no more than five minutes to speak.
To Observe: Anyone may observe the open session by videoconference, but they will not be able to speak. It is not necessary to pre-register to observe. If needed, please request reasonable accommodation by email to culprop@state.gov no later than September 12. It may not be possible to fulfill requests made after that date.
Zoom Information:
https://statedept.zoomgov.com/j/1615848925?pwd=bUxQU09WR0doSzJWVzhrU3hnVlphUT09
Webinar ID: 161 584 8925
Webinar passcode: 054903
Join by phone:
+1 669 254 5252 US (San Jose)
+1 646 964 1167 US (US Spanish Line)
+1 646 828 7666 US (New York)
+1 669 216 1590 US (San Jose)
+1 415 449 4000 US (US Spanish Line)
+1 551 285 1373 US (New Jersey)
