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Ambassador Mussomeli and Cambodia’s Ministry of Culture Secretary of State Chuch Phoeurn sign an MOU to renew protection of Cambodian artifacts.
U.S. and Cambodia agree to renew protection of Cambodian artifacts and archive the National Museum’s book collection
National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh
August 18, 2008
In a joint signing ceremony at the National Museum that took place on the 18th of August, the U.S. Government and the Kingdom of Cambodia renewed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two countries which protects Cambodian artifacts and prevents their import into the United States. The U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia, H.E. Joseph A. Mussomeli, and H.E. Chuch Phoeurn, Secretary of State from the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts participated in the event. Ambassador Mussomeli also signed the latest Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation grant which will help the National Museum rebuild its library and protect its valuable collection of books dating back to the beginning of the last century.
The new memorandum of understanding expands the scope of the original which was signed in 2003 by Ambassador Charles Ray to include artifacts from the Bronze Age to the Khmer era. It specifically restricts the import into the U.S. of ancient Cambodian stone, metal, and ceramic archaeological material unless an export permit is issued by Cambodia or there is verifiable documentation that the objects left Cambodia prior to the effective date of the restriction.
The original bilateral agreement and the Emergency Import Restriction that came before it are responses to a request from the Royal Government of Cambodia seeking protection of the country's cultural heritage under Article 9 of the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. Cambodia is the first country in East Asia to receive the help of the United States in protecting its cultural property in this manner.
The U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation is the only program in the U.S. Government that provides direct small grant support to heritage preservation in developing countries, and was established by the U.S. Congress in 2001.
This year the Embassy is providing over $45,000 to the National Museum in an effort to preserve the institution’s valuable book collection, and to rebuild a portion of the library to create a better space for researchers and for the study of Cambodia’s rich history. participated in the event. Ambassador Mussomeli also signed the latest Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation grant which will help the National Museum rebuild its library and protect its valuable collection of books dating back to the beginning of the last century.
The new memorandum of understanding expands the scope of the original which was signed in 2003 by Ambassador Charles Ray to include artifacts from the Bronze Age to the Khmer era. It specifically restricts the import into the U.S. of ancient Cambodian stone, metal, and ceramic archaeological material unless an export permit is issued by Cambodia or there is verifiable documentation that the objects left Cambodia prior to the effective date of the restriction.
The original bilateral agreement and the Emergency Import Restriction that came before it are responses to a request from the Royal Government of Cambodia seeking protection of the country's cultural heritage under Article 9 of the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. Cambodia is the first country in East Asia to receive the help of the United States in protecting its cultural property in this manner.
The U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation is the only program in the U.S. Government that provides direct small grant support to heritage preservation in developing countries, and was established by the U.S. Congress in 2001.
This year the Embassy is providing over $45,000 to the National Museum in an effort to preserve the institution’s valuable book collection, and to rebuild a portion of the library to create a better space for researchers and for the study of Cambodia’s rich history.
