US Ambassador to Nepal Dean R. Thompson and Dr Suresh Suras Shrestha, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation (MoCTA) signed a Cultural Property Agreement (CPA) to safeguard Nepal’s cultural heritage and prevent illicit trafficking of artifacts.
Under the agreement, the US will restrict import of designated Nepali archaeological (32,000 BCE–1770 CE) and ethnological (13th c.–1950) materials unless accompanied by a Nepali export certificate. Covered items include religious objects, manuscripts, and architectural elements.
The CPA strengthens bilateral cooperation, curbs looting, promotes responsible stewardship, supports cultural tourism, and fosters collaboration with US museums and researchers.
On the occasion, Ambassador Thompson stated, “the CPA underscores the deep respect the United States holds for Nepal’s cultural heritage. It strengthens cooperation to prevent illicit trafficking, supports lawful cultural exchange, and reinforces our shared responsibility to protect Nepal’s cultural heritage for future generations.”
Secretary for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Mukunda Prasad Niroula said, “The Government of Nepal would like to thank the Government of the United States for its continued partnership in protecting Nepal’s cultural heritage. Over the past two decades, this partnership through the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation and now the Cultural Property Agreement (CPA) reflects the strong Nepal–U.S. collaboration and our shared commitment to preventing illicit trafficking of cultural property and preserving cultural heritage for future generations.”
With 30 such agreements in force worldwide, the United States is a global leader in cultural heritage preservation.
The Cultural Property Agreement with Nepal builds on the United States’ longstanding commitment to protecting Nepal’s sovereignty and heritage, which includes support through the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) for 28 projects over the past two decades.
These projects have restored historic monuments and manuscripts, safeguarded cultural heritage sites, and recently established Nepal’s first modern conservation laboratory in Lumbini.
