The major gathering will examine the new forms of agreements and partnerships regarding requests for return and restitution of cultural property, as well as scientific or cultural cooperation established in this context.
The event will provide UNESCO Member States with an overview of new types of inter-institutional and inter-state agreements, as well as diverse initiatives including the creation of national committees responsible for the return and restitution.
It will also be an opportunity to take stock of recent developments in museums and cultural institutions regarding the evolution of return and restitution and to discuss specific challenges.
The presentations of resolved restitution cases may address specific issues, such as the question of cultural property from a colonial context, the role of the art market and in particular illicit online sales, and the impact of these illicit activities on communities and indigenous peoples.
This regional dialogue is in line with the MONDIACULT 2022 Declaration unanimously adopted by 150 States at the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development – MONDIACULT 2022 – in Mexico, calling for “an open and inclusive international dialogue on the return and restitution of cultural property.”
