CALL FOR COMMENTS on the USA/Colombia Cultural Property MOU

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This notice from the fantastic Allison Davis at the US Department of State. The Memorandum of Understanding between the USA and Colombia which brings in import restrictions for looted Colombian heritage items and artefacts is up for renewal. The State Department seeks comments from the interested public related to this agreement. Please see this blog post I wrote a few years ago about how and why you should submit a comment if you have knowledge on the subject.

Dr Davis writes:

The Cultural Property Advisory Committee will meet July 22-23 to consider extension of the U.S.-Colombia cultural property agreement that protects archaeological and Colonial period ecclesiastical material.  All are invited to comment in writing and/or during a videoconference on July 22 at 2 pm EDT.  The Committee finds first-hand experiences related to looting, theft, trafficking, the art market, or scientific and educational exchange to be particularly valuable for informing their recommendation to the State Department on whether to extend the agreement.

  • To comment in writing: go to regulations.gov, enter docket DOS-2020-0022, and follow the prompts to submit written comments by July 8. 
  • To share confidential information: Email or call me, Allison Davis, at davisar@state.gov or 202-315-8824.
  • To speak during the videoconference meeting: request to be scheduled by July 14 via email to culprop@state.gov.  
  • To observe the meeting: anyone can observe the open session of the meeting without registering ahead of time.

Additional details about the agreement, how to comment, and how to participate in the meeting are on the State Department’s website https://eca.state.gov/highlight/cultural-property-advisory-committee-meeting-july-22-23-2020