A new tool for museums – DARCA

DARCA, or the Decision Aid for the Restitution of Cultural Artefacts (DARCA), is a user-friendly tool designed to assist museums and others in understanding the moral issues relating to restitution, developed by practical ethicists at the Oxford Uehiro Institute and supported by the philosophical literature in this field.

Members of the public are free to try DARCA online.

Whether you are a museum trustee, museum professional, claimant, lawyer, researcher or student, this tool will provide guidance on the ethical considerations involved in returning cultural objects from museum collections.

Museums often have difficulties navigating these issues when faced with a claim from a country or community of origin. DARCA is meant to offer them the necessary support.

Along with colleagues at the Oxford Uehiro Institute, we would like to invite you to DARCA’s official launch at Reuben College, University of Oxford on the evening of 6 March. A panel involving representatives of the DARCA working group will discuss how the tool can be used by museums.

Official launch 6 March 2026 in Oxford, UK.