TREATIES AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL ACTS SERIES 13-227 

________________________________________________________________________ 

CULTURAL PROPERTY 

 Memorandum of Understanding 

 Between the 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 

and BELIZE 

Signed at Belize City February 27, 2013 
 NOTE BY THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

 Pursuant to Public Law 89—497, approved July 8, 1966 

(80 Stat. 271; 1 U.S.C. 113)—

“. . .the Treaties and Other International Acts Series issued 

under the authority of the Secretary of State shall be competent 

 evidence . . . of the treaties, international agreements other than 

treaties, and proclamations by the President of such treaties and 

international agreements other than treaties, as the case may be, 

therein contained, in all the courts of law and equity and of maritime 

jurisdiction, and in all the tribunals and public offices of the 

United States, and of the several States, without any further proof 

or authentication thereof.” 
BELIZE 

Cultural Property 

 Memorandum of understanding 

 signed at Belize City 

 February 27, 2013; 

 Entered into force February 27, 2013. 
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

AND

THE GOVERNMENT OF BELIZE

CONCERNING THE IMPOSITION OF IMPORT RESTRICTIONS

ON CATEGORIES OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL MATERIAL REPRESENTING THE

CULTURAL HERITAGE OF BELIZE FROM THE PRE-CERAMIC

(APPROXIMATELY 9000 B.C.), PRE-CLASSIC, CLASSIC, AND POST-CLASSIC

PERIODS OF THE PRE-COLUMBIAN ERA THROUGH THE EARLY and LATE

COLONIAL PERIODS

The Government of the United States of America and the Government of Belize;

Acting pursuant to the 1970 UNESCO Convention 'on the Means of Prohibiting and

Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, to

which both countries are States Party; and

Desiring to reduce the incentive for pillage of irreplaceable archaeological material

representing the rich cultural heritage of Belize;

Have agreed as follows:

ARTICLE I

A. The Government of the United States of America, in accordance with its legislation

entitled the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act, shall restrict the

importation into the United States of archaeological material originating in Belize and

representing Belize's cultural heritage that is at least 250 years old, dating from the PreCeramic (from approximately 9000 B.C.), Pre-Classic, Classic, and Post-Classic Periods of

the Pre-Columbian era through the Early and Late Colonial Periods, including categories of

sculpture, vessels, and other objects made of materials such as stone, metal, ceramic, bone,

shell, wood, and glass, identified on a list to be promulgated by the United States
Government (hereafter known as the "Designated List"), unless the Government of Belize

issues a license or other documentation which certifies that such exportation was not in

violation of its laws.

B. The Government of the United States of America shall offer for return to the Government

of Belize any object or material on the Designated List forfeited to the Government of the

United States of America.

C. Such import restrictions shall become effective on the date the Designated List is

published in the U.S. Federal Register, the official United States Government publication

providing fair public notice.

ARTICLE II

Public Awareness / Outreach

A. The Government of the United States of America and the Government of Belize shall

publicize this Memorandum of Understanding and its purposes through appropriate means,

respectively.

B. In order to establish public and scholarly access to the collections of Belizean cultural

property: the Government of Belize shall use its best efforts to open a national museum at the

earliest practicable time.

Protection / Conservation

C. The Government of Belize shall use its best efforts to place informational material such

as signs and brochures at airports, border crossings. and other points of entry and exit that

explain the laws prohibiting illicit excavation and the removal and sale of artifacts.

D. The Government of Belize shall use its best efforts to ensure that the practices that have

given rise to its positive international relationships, including in its efforts related to loans of

Belizean cultural property, procedures for conducting archaeological research, and training of

students, are institutionalized as the standard of practices within the National Institute of

Culture and History.

Collaboration / Interchange

E. Both Governments shall seek to encourage academic institutions, non-governmental

institutions, and other organizations to cooperate in the interchange of knowledge and

information about the cultural patrimony of Belize, and to collaborate in the preservation and

protection of such cultural patrimony, particularly through best practices in conservation and

training.
F. The Government of Belize shall use its best efforts to work with other Commonwealth

and European countries to combat the illicit trafficking of Belizean cultural property.

G. The Government of the United States of America shall use its best efforts to facilitate

technical assistance in cultural resource management and security to Belize, as appropriate

under existing programs in the public and/or private sectors, particularly recognizing the

increasing destabilizing influence of drug traffickers in the Central American region.

Law Enforcement

II. Both Governments agree that, in order for United States import restrictions to be fully

successful in thwarting pillage, the Government of Belize shall continue its efforts to prevent

the illegal sale and export of archaeological objects, especially at ports of transit and

shipment; and shall continue to strengthen cooperation within Central America, and

especially with neighboring states, for the protection of the cultural patrimony of the region.

ARTICLE III

The obligations of both Governments and the activities carried out under this Memorandum

of Understanding shall be subject to the laws and regulations of each Government, as

applicable, including the availability of funds.

ARTICLE IV

A. This Memorandum of Understanding shall enter into force upon signature. It shall

remain in force for a period of five years, unless extended.

B. This Memorandum of Understanding may be amended through an exchange of

diplomatic notes.

C. The effectiveness of this Memorandum of Understanding shall be subject to review in

order to determine, before the expiration of the five-year period of this Memorandum of

Understanding, whether it should be extended.

IN W rrNEss WHEREOF, the undersigned, being duly authorized by their respective

Governments, have signed the present Memorandum of Understanding.
DONE at Government House/House of Culture. Belize City. Belize, this 27th of February,

2013, in duplicate in the. English language.

FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: BELIZE:

Yvv VN/Vg.

His Excellency Vinai K. Thum alapal

U.S. Ambassador to Belize

The Honourable Jose Manuel Heredia. Jr.

Minister of Tourism and Culture