States Party to the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property1 (official documentation on file)
What does the 1970 UNESCO Convention outline?
Each country (STATE) is listed below, along with corresponding importation dates used in determining whether cultural property can be legally bought and sold within the United States.
What does the UNESCO Convention mean to you, the buyer or seller of ancient art?
It means that if you buy, sell, collect, or otherwise trade in articles of cultural property from foreign countries named on this list (meaning antiquities, ancient art and artifacts), you should make it your job to know which cut-off dates determine the legality of any piece of ancient art you buy or sell. Ancient items/cultural property whose exit date from the originating country is AFTER the date(s) listed herein, are not legally allowable for sale/trade in the USA, and should be avoided. The Dept. of Homeland Security is beefing up their efforts, and increasing pressure will be placed upon stricter compliance to
the UNESCO Convention in the coming months.
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States (in alphabetical order)
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Deposit date of instrument
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Type of instrument
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1
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Afghanistan
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08/09/2005
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2
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13/06/2002
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|
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3
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Algeria
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24/06/1974
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Ratification
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4
|
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07/11/1991
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Ratification
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5
|
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11/01/1973
|
Ratification
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6
|
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05/09/1993
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Notification of succession
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7
|
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30/10/1989
|
Acceptance
|
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8
|
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25/08/1999
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Ratification
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9
|
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09/10/1997
|
Ratification
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10
|
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09/12/1987
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Ratification
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11
|
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10/04/2002
|
Acceptance
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|
12
|
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28/04/1988
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Ratification
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13
|
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31/03/2009
|
Ratification
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14
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26/01/1990
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Ratification
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15
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26/09/2002
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Ratification
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16
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Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
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04/10/1976
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Ratification
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17
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12/07/1993
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Notification of succession
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18
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16/02/1973
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Ratification
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19
|
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15/09/1971
|
Ratification
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20
|
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07/04/1987
|
Ratification
|
|
21
|
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26/09/1972
|
Ratification
|
|
22
|
|
24/05/1972
|
Ratification
|
|
23
|
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28/03/1978
|
Acceptance
|
|
24
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01/02/1972
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Ratification
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25
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17/06/2008
|
Ratification
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26
|
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28/11/1989
|
Acceptance
|
|
27
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24/05/1988
|
Acceptance
|
|
28
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06/03/1996
|
Ratification
|
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29
|
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30/10/1990
|
Ratification
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30
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06/07/1992
|
Notification of succession
|
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31
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30/01/1980
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Ratification
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32
|
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19/10/1979
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Ratification
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33
|
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26/03/1993
|
Notification of succession
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34
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Democratic People's Republic of Korea
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13/05/1983
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Ratification
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35
|
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Democratic Republic of the Congo
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23/09/1974
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Ratification
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36
|
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26/03/2003
|
Ratification
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37
|
|
07/03/1973
|
Ratification
|
|
38
|
|
24/03/1971
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Acceptance
|
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39
|
|
05/04/1973
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Acceptance
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|
40
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20/02/1978
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Ratification
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41
|
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27/10/1995
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Ratification
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42
|
|
14/06/1999
|
Ratification
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43
|
|
07/01/1997
|
Ratification
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|
44
|
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29/08/2003
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Acceptance
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45
|
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04/11/1992
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Notification of succession
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46
|
|
30/11/2007
|
Ratification
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47
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05/06/1981
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Ratification
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48
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10/09/1992
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Acceptance
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49
|
|
14/01/1985
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Ratification
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50
|
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18/03/1979
|
Ratification
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|
51
|
|
19/03/1979
|
Ratification
|
|
52
|
|
23/10/1978
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Ratification
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53
|
|
09/11/2004
|
Ratification
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53
|
|
24/01/1977
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Ratification
|
|
55
|
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Iran (Islamic Republic of)
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27/01/1975
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Acceptance
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56
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Iraq
|
12/02/1973
|
Acceptance
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57
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Italy
|
02/10/1978
|
Ratification
|
|
58
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Japan
|
09/09/2002
|
Acceptance
|
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59
|
|
15/03/1974
|
Ratification
|
|
60
|
Kuwait
|
22/06/1972
|
Acceptance
|
|
61
|
Kyrgyzstan
|
03/07/1995
|
Acceptance
|
|
62
|
Lebanon
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25/08/1992
|
Ratification
|
|
63
|
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
|
09/01/1973
|
Ratification
|
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64
|
|
27/07/1998
|
Ratification
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65
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Madagascar
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21/06/1989
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Ratification
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66
|
|
06/04/1987
|
Ratification
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67
|
|
27/04/1977
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Ratification
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68
|
|
27/02/1978
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Acceptance
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69
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Mexico
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04/10/1972
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Acceptance
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70
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Mongolia
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23/05/1991
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Acceptance
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|
71
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Montenegro
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26/04/2007
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Notification of succession
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|
72
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Morocco
|
03/02/2003
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Ratification
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73
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Nepal
|
23/06/1976
|
Ratification
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74
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New Zealand
|
01/02/2007
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Acceptance
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|
75
|
|
19/04/1977
|
Ratification
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|
76
|
Niger
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16/10/1972
|
Ratification
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|
77
|
Nigeria
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24/01/1972
|
Ratification
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|
78
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Norway
|
16/02/2007
|
Ratification
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|
79
|
Oman
|
02/06/1978
|
Acceptance
|
|
80
|
Pakistan
|
30/04/1981
|
Ratification
|
|
81
|
|
13/08/1973
|
Acceptance
|
|
82
|
Paraguay
|
09/11/2004
|
Ratification
|
|
83
|
Peru
|
24/10/1979
|
Acceptance
|
|
84
|
Poland
|
31/01/1974
|
Ratification
|
|
85
|
Portugal
|
09/12/1985
|
Ratification
|
|
86
|
Qatar
|
20/04/1977
|
Acceptance
|
|
87
|
Republic of Korea
|
14/02/1983
|
Acceptance
|
|
88
|
Republic of Moldova
|
14/09/2007
|
Ratification
|
|
89
|
Romania
|
06/12/1993
|
Acceptance
|
|
90
|
Russian Federation
|
28/04/1988
|
Ratification
|
|
91
|
Rwanda
|
25/09/2001
|
Ratification
|
|
92
|
Saudi Arabia
|
08/09/1976
|
Acceptance
|
|
93
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Senegal
|
09/12/1984
|
Ratification
|
|
94
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Serbia
|
11/09/2001
|
Notification of succession
|
|
95
|
Seychelles
|
28/05/2004
|
Ratification
|
|
96
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Slovakia
|
31/03/1993
|
Notification of succession
|
|
97
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Slovenia
|
05/11/1992
|
Notification of succession
|
|
98
|
|
18/12/2003
|
Acceptance
|
|
99
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Spain
|
10/01/1986
|
Ratification
|
|
100
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Sri Lanka
|
07/04/1981
|
Acceptance
|
|
101
|
|
13/01/2003
|
Ratification
|
|
102
|
Switzerland
|
03/10/2003
|
Acceptance
|
|
103
|
Syrian Arab Republic
|
21/02/1975
|
Acceptance
|
|
104
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Tajikistan
|
28/08/1992
|
Ratification
|
|
105
|
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
|
30/04/1997
|
Notification of succession
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|
106
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Tunisia
|
10/03/1975
|
Acceptance
|
|
107
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Turkey
|
21/04/1981
|
Ratification
|
|
108
|
Ukraine
|
28/04/1988
|
Ratification
|
|
109
|
United Kingdom of Great Britain, Northern Ireland
|
01/08/2002
|
Acceptance
|
|
110
|
United Republic of Tanzania
|
02/08/1977
|
Ratification
|
|
111
|
United States of America
|
02/09/1983
|
Acceptance
|
|
112
|
Uruguay
|
09/08/1977
|
Ratification
|
|
113
|
Uzbekistan
|
15/03/1996
|
Ratification
|
|
114
|
|
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
|
|
21/03/2005
|
Acceptance
|
|
115
|
Viet Nam
|
20/09/2005
|
Ratification
|
|
116
|
Zambia
|
21/06/1985
|
Ratification
|
|
117
|
Zimbabwe
|
30/05/2006
|
Acceptance
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1This Convention entered into force on 24 April 1972, in Paris, France. It subsequently entered into force for each State three months after the date of deposit of that State's instrument, except in cases of notifications of succession, where the entry into force occurred on the date on which the State assumed responsibility for conducting its international relations. The most significant feature of the 1972 World Heritage Convention is that it links together in a single document the concepts of nature conservation and the preservation of cultural properties. The Convention recognizes the way in which people interact with nature, and the fundamental need to preserve the balance between the two.
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