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TREATIES AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL ACTS SERIES 18-223
 

CULTURAL EXCHANGES, PROPERTY 

AND COOPERATION 

Archaeological and Ethnological Material 

Memorandum of Understanding 

Between the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 

and LIBYA 

Signed at Washington February 23, 2018 
 

 

 

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.” 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIBYA 

Cultural Exchanges, Property 

and Cooperation: Archaeological and 

Ethnological Material 

Memorandum of understanding signed at 

Washington February 23, 2018;
 

Entered into force February 23, 2018.
 
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING 


BETWEEN 


THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 


AND 


THE GOVERNMENT OF LIBYA 


CONCERNING THE IMPOSITION OF IMPORT RESTRICTIONS 


ON CATEGORIES OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ETHNOLOGICAL 


MATERIAL OF LIBYA 


The Government ofthe United States ofAmerica and the Government ofLibya; 

Acting pursuant to the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means ofProhibiting 

and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership ofCultural 

Property, to which both countries are States party; and 

Desiring to reduce the incentive for pillage ofirreplaceable archaeological and 

ethnological material representing Libya's rich culturaJ heritage; 

Have agreed as follows: 

ARTICLE I 

1. The Government ofthe United States ofAmerica shall, in accordance with its 

legislation, including the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act, 

restrict the importation into the United States of certain archaeological material 

ranging in date from the Paleolithic Period (c.a. 12,000 B.C.) through 1750 

A.D. and certain ethnological material, which may include categories of stone, 

metal, ceramic, bone, ivory, shell, glass, faience, semi-precious stone, painting 

and drawing, plaster, textiles, mosaics, wood, leather, parchment, and paper 

identified in the list to be promulgated by the Government ofthe United States 

(hereinafter referred to as the Designated List), unless the Government ofLibya 

issues a license which certifies that such exportation was not in violation of its 

laws. 
2. 	 The Government ofthe United States ofAmerica shall offer for return to the 

Government ofLibya any object or material on the Designated List forfeited to 

the Government ofthe United States of America. 

3. 	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 

1. 	 Each Government shall publicize this Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MOU) 

and the reasons for entering into it. 

2. 	 The Government ofLibya shall continue to use its best efforts to maintain and 

share with the Government ofthe United States ofAmerica information about 

unauthorized excavations, thefts of cultural property, trafficking of cultural 

property, and other factors that jeopardize its cultural patrimony. 

3. The Government ofLibya shall continue to use its best efforts to take steps 

consistent with the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means ofProhibiting and 

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

Property to protect its cultural patrimony. To assist in these efforts, the 

Government of the United States ofAmerica shall use its best efforts to facilitate 

technical assistance to the Government ofLibya, as appropriate, under available 

programs in the public and/or private sectors. 

4. The Government ofLibya shall use its best efforts to engage other countries 

having a significant import trade in archaeological and ethnological materials 

·from Libya to deter pillage of its cultural property. 

5. Each Government shall use its best efforts to encourage further interchange of 

archaeological and ethnological materials for cultural, educational, and scientific 

purposes, including long-term loans, to promote widespread public appreciation 

of and access to Libya's rich cultural heritage. 
6. Each Government shall endeavor to keep the other informed ofthe measures 

taken to implement this MOU. 

ARTICLE III 

The obligations ofboth Governments and the activities carried out under this MoU 

shall be subject to their respective laws and regulations, including with respect to 

the availability of appropriated funds. 

ARTICLE IV 

1. 	 This MOU shall enter into force upon signature; it shall remain in force for a 

period of five (5) years, unless extended. 

2. 	 This MOU may be extended and amended only by mutual written consent of 

the Parties. 

3. 	The Government ofthe United States ofAmerica and the Government ofLibya 

shall review the effectiveness ofthis MOU before the expiration ofthe five (5)­

year period in order to determine whether the MOU should be extended. 

4. Either Party may notify the other, in writing through diplomatic channels, ofits 

intention to terminate this MOU prior to its date of expiry. In such a case the 

termination shall come into effect six ( 6) months after the date ofnotification. 
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, being duly authorized by their 

respective Governments, have signed the present MOU. 

DONE at Washington, this eiv3 of February, 2018, in duplicate, in the 

English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authentic. 

FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: LIBYA: 
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