huaribag.jpg

The Cultural Property Advisory Committee will meet October 5,6, and 8, 2021, to review the proposed extensions of the cultural property agreement with the Government of the Republic of Cyprus and the cultural property agreement with the Government of Peru. The Committee will also consider emergency restrictions on cultural property from Afghanistan. The Committee invites public comment on the new request and the proposed extensions. The public may provide written comment in advance and/or register to participate in the virtual open session of the meeting on October 5, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. EDT.

Cyprus Extension Summary

An extension of the Memorandum of Understanding Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Cyprus Concerning the Imposition of Import Restrictions on Pre-Classical and Classical Archaeological Objects and Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Period Ecclesiastical and Ritual Ethnological Materials will be considered.  The Government of the Republic of Cyprus has requested that the agreement be amended to include additional categories of archaeological and ethnological material from the 11^th millennium B.C. to A.D 1850.  A history of U.S. actions concerning the agreement can be found on the Current Import Restrictions Page.

Peru Extension Summary

huarihead2.jpg

Afghanistan Summary

On April 28, 2021, the former Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan made a request to the Government of the United States 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, as implemented by the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act (CPIA). The request seeks import restrictions on archaeological material, including architectural elements; ceramics; jewelry; manuscripts; numismatic material; sculptures made from metal, stone, and terracotta; stamps; tools made from metal and stone; and weapons, and ethnological material, including architectural elements; figurines; metal objects; musical instruments; objects of personal adornment including clothing and jewelry; textiles including carpets, Suzani textiles, and tent coverings; and wood carvings. Notification of the request was published in the Federal Register per the CPIA.  Federal Register :: Notice of Receipt of Request From the Former Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan 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

The Review Process

The State Department follows these procedures as it considers cultural property agreements. The State Department considers import restrictions for materials that meet the definitions in the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act.  See our website for more information.

Comments on the Cyprus and Peru Extensions and Emergency Restrictions on Afghanistan

Public comments on the possible extensions of the cultural property agreements with Cyprus and Peru, and emergency restrictions on cultural property from Afghanistan, should focus on the four determinations described at https://eca.state.gov/cultural-heritage-center/cultural-property-advisory-committee/foreign-government-requests. All comments must be submitted in writing no later than September 26, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. (EDT). Use regulations.gov, enter docket DOS-2021-0032, and follow the prompts to submit written comments. Please submit separate comments for each country.

Due to the addition of Afghanistan to the agenda, the Committee will continue its discussion of the extension of the cultural property agreement with Cyprus at its next meeting in January 2022.  At that time there will be a second opportunity for public comment.  The Committee will consider all public comments on Cyprus, whether received now or in January. 

Join in the Virtual Open Session

The virtual open session of the Committee meeting will be held on October 5 at 2:00 pm EDT using Zoom, a web conferencing service. The open session will start with a brief presentation by the Committee, after which registered public participants will comment on the possible extensions. Time permitting, participants may be asked to provide additional oral comments for no more than five (5) minutes per participant. Due to time constraints, it may not be possible to accommodate all who wish to speak.

Anyone may observe the open session. If you are new to Zoom, these tips will help you get started. If needed, please request reasonable accommodation no later than September 28th by contacting the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at culprop@state.gov. Requests made after that date may be considered, but it may not be possible to fulfill them.

boneflute.jpg

To Participate

Registered participants in the open session can speak and may be asked questions by the Committee. If you wish to participate you must request to be scheduled by September 28th , via email (culprop@state.gov). Please submit your name and organizational affiliation in this request. After you pre-register you will receive a unique link and instructions on how to participate via email.

To Observe

Observers can watch the open session, but they cannot speak. It is not necessary to pre-register to observe.

To join as an observer:

Click the link to join the webinar:  https://statedept.zoomgov.com/j/1611791576

Or by Telephone:

Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):

US: +1 669 254 5252 or +1 646 828 7666

Webinar ID: 161 179 1576

International numbers available

copy_of_untitled.png

This four-week digital salon series brought together a select group of IVLP alumni to explore how the IVLP community fosters volunteerism around the world. During the program, IVLP alumni networked with one another and discussed best practices in effective volunteer engagement and innovations in the field amid recent challenging circumstances around the world.

Alongside the salon series, ECA introduced the social media campaign, #IVLPVolunteers, which encouraged the IVLP network to share photos and videos of their volunteer experiences. This campaign also called for members of the IVLP network to complete a volunteer pledge, committing to volunteer a number of hours in their communities. By the end of the campaign, 181 people in 61 countries pledged to volunteer 30,000+ hours in their communities in 2021.

ECA recently published a video clip about this virtual salon series, featuring a special message from ECA’s Office of International Visitors Director Anne Grimes, in which she recognized the global efforts of the IVLP alumni, applauded the group's passion for volunteering, and highlighted recent examples of IVLP alumni making a difference in their communities. The video  also includes the reflections from IVLP alumni around the world on the impact of community service. The video is available below.

The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) is the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program. Through short-term exchanges, current and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields cultivate lasting relationships with their American counterparts and develop greater familiarity and understanding of American values and communities.

This summer, the U.S. Department of State’s Office of International Visitors (OIV) initiated a virtual International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) project which explored racial and social disparities, probing America’s complicated history, current social justice movements, and the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on communities of color. 

The project was titled, “The Problem We All Live With: Dismantling Racial and Social Injustice,” alluding to the 1964 Norman Rockwell painting which depicts an iconic moment from the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. 

Twenty-five participants, representing twenty-three countries, attended virtual sessions hosted by program partners in Washington, DC; Cleveland, Ohio; San Francisco, California; Jackson, Mississippi; and Little Rock, Arkansas. Accompanying these meetings was a special presentation delivered by the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield. During her remarks, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield highlighted her personal story and encouraged the participants to work together to dismantle systemic racism and advance civil rights in their own countries and around the world.  The video of Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield’s presentation is available below.

By the end of the project, many participants expressed a greater sense of understanding of the Black American experience in the United States and noted that they were motivated and dedicated to continuing the fight toward dismantling racism in their own countries. Khalid Ghali Bada, a virtual participant from Spain, shared, “One of the most significant concepts I’ve come to understand, during this program, is the correlation between legislation, the administrative political system, and racial hierarchy. By understanding this, it has given me an understanding of institutional racism in the U.S. and how it produces inequality in multiple areas.”

Through short-term exchanges, the IVLP allows current and emerging foreign leaders to foster lasting relationships with American counterparts, address topics of strategic interest, and develop greater familiarity and understanding of American culture and communities.