U.S. Legislative alert (long one)

Posted by Michaelson from leospace047.utsi.edu on May 24, 2000 at 13:42:06:

I just received the following from the Tennessee Archaeological news group, and thought it was of interest to those at the forum that are located in the US, as it may be something that you may want to act on. I'll post it verbatim...
"S.1696: The Cultural Property Procedural Reform Act" "On October 6, 1999, Sen. Patrick Moynihan (D-NY) introduced S. 1696. The legislation seeks to amend the Convention on Cultrual Property Implementation Act (19 USC 2600), which was passed by Congress in 1982. Through the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act (CCPIA), the United States became a party to the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export, and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (UNESCO Convention) that seeks to end the pillageing and destruction of important archaological and cultural sites, and to protect the integrity of each country's cultural patrimony, including our own.

If enacted in to law, S. 1696 would inhibit the United States' ability to enter into agreements with foreign nations to restrict the flow of undocumented antiquities, create a bureaucratic nightmare, and leave the CCPIA unable to carry out the purposes for which it was intended. Specifically, the amendments would:

-alter the language of the CCPIA so that it no longer conforms to the terms of the international UNESCO Convention, thereby eroding the U.S.'s ability to work cooperatively with other nations and to adequately protect its own rich and diverse cultural heritage via the reciprocal protection that the treaty provides;

-force the disclosure of confidential and highly sensitive information that would lead to the increased pillage of cultural sites and aid the illicit trade in antiquities;

-effectively convert the existing Cultural Property Advisory Committee, created to rpovide expert advice to the President, into a partisan haven for special interests;

-require vastly increased staffing and funding within the U.S. Department of State during times of budget cuts and institute complex procedures for the committee that would curtail its ability to perform its statutory duties.

-imposed significatnt administrative burdens on the Cultural Property Advisory Committee, whihc recommends to the President whether import restrictions on undocumented antiquities should be adopted. The ultimate result would be to reverse the leading role that the United States has played since 1983 in fighting the illicit trafficking in cultural property.

Valuable information about our world's past is being lost daily due to looting of archaeological sites in the USA, as well as abroad. Passage of S.1696 would increase the demand for loted items, increase pillage of archaeological sites, and rob humanity of its past. The 1970 UNESCO convention that seeks to protect the world's cultural heritage was designed to protect nations' cultural patrimony, not to benefit art dealers and auction houses.

The archaeological community urges you to oppose S.1696 and demand that the Senate Finance Committee schedule a hearing on the legislation."

This came from Donald Forsyth Craib,
Manager, Government Affairs, and Counsel
Society for American Archaeology
900 Second Stret, N.E.
Suite 12
Washington, D.C. 20002
email address: donald_craib@saa.org

All, if any, typos are mine alone. I'm not offering an opinion, but wanted to offer this to the members for your "illumination" of what is going on in the dark halls of Congress at the moment. Sounds to me like Belloq would LOVE this piece of legislation. Sorry, I said I was not offering an opinion. (grins) Regards. Michaelson

Follow Ups:

Here, here. mlif 18:38:57 5/24/2000 (2)
- From what Mr. Craib just emailed me... Michaelson 10:36:21 5/26/2000 (1)
  - I had a feeling... mlif 20:40:01 5/26/2000 (0)
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Democracy just doesn't work. graml 14:13:01 5/24/2000 (1)
- I'm glad we're a Republic and NOT just a democracy. Hope the politicians remember it. (nm) Michaelson 14:16:41 5/24/2000 (0)

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: I just received the following from the Tennessee Archaeological news group, and thought it was of interest to those at the forum that are located in the US, as it may be something that you may want to act on. I'll post it verbatim...
: "S.1696: The Cultural Property Procedural Reform Act"  "On October 6, 1999, Sen. Patrick Moynihan (D-NY) introduced S. 1696. The legislation seeks to amend the Convention on Cultrual Property Implementation Act (19 USC 2600), which was passed by Congress in 1982.  Through the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act (CCPIA), the United States became a party to the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export, and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (UNESCO Convention) that seeks to end the pillageing and destruction of important archaological and cultural sites, and to protect the integrity of each country's cultural patrimony, including our own.

: If enacted in to law, S. 1696 would inhibit the United States' ability to enter into agreements with foreign nations to restrict the flow of undocumented antiquities, create a bureaucratic nightmare, and leave the CCPIA unable to carry out the purposes for which it was intended. Specifically, the amendments would:

: -alter the language of the CCPIA so that it no longer conforms to the terms of the international UNESCO Convention, thereby eroding the U.S.'s ability to work cooperatively with other nations and to adequately protect its own rich and diverse cultural heritage via the reciprocal protection that the treaty provides;

: -force the disclosure of confidential and highly sensitive information that would lead to the increased pillage of cultural sites and aid the illicit trade in antiquities;

: -effectively convert the existing Cultural Property Advisory Committee, created to rpovide expert advice to the President, into a partisan haven for special interests;

: -require vastly increased staffing and funding within the U.S. Department of State during times of budget cuts and institute complex procedures for the committee that would curtail its ability to perform its statutory duties.

: -imposed significatnt administrative burdens on the Cultural Property Advisory Committee, whihc recommends to the President whether import restrictions on undocumented antiquities should be adopted. The ultimate result would be to reverse the leading role that the United States has played since 1983 in fighting the illicit trafficking in cultural property.

: Valuable information about our world's past is being lost daily due to looting of archaeological sites in the USA, as well as abroad. Passage of S.1696 would increase the demand for loted items, increase pillage of archaeological sites, and rob humanity of its past. The 1970 UNESCO convention that seeks to protect the world's cultural heritage was designed to protect nations' cultural patrimony, not to benefit art dealers and auction houses.

: The archaeological community urges you to oppose S.1696 and demand that the Senate Finance Committee schedule a hearing on the legislation."

: This came from Donald Forsyth Craib, 
: Manager, Government Affairs, and Counsel
: Society for American Archaeology
: 900 Second Stret, N.E.
: Suite 12
: Washington, D.C. 20002
: email address: donald_craib@saa.org

: All, if any, typos are mine alone. I'm not offering an opinion, but wanted to offer this to the members for your "illumination" of what is going on in the dark halls of Congress at the moment. Sounds to me like Belloq would LOVE this piece of legislation. Sorry, I said I was not offering an opinion. (grins) Regards. Michaelson

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