President John Dramani Mahama has called for a more coordinated international system to facilitate the return of African cultural artefacts, saying restitution should not depend on isolated acts of goodwill.
Speaking at a high-level side event on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, President Mahama acknowledged recent steps by European countries towards returning African cultural heritage.
He commended the Netherlands for cataloguing about 2,000 Ghanaian artefacts for return, while also acknowledging Germany’s engagement with the Kpando Traditional Area.
The President also recognised France’s legislative efforts on restitution and cited the return of the sacred Djidji Ayokwe talking drums to Côte d’Ivoire as an important development.
However, he argued that such progress should lead to the establishment of a permanent international framework capable of making restitution more systematic.
“We thank the Netherlands for cataloguing 2,000 Ghanaian artefacts for return,” President Mahama said.
He stressed that “moral justice cannot rely on piecemeal generosity or isolated acts of goodwill,” and called for clear and standardised legal and diplomatic mechanisms to support the restitution process.
According to the President, such mechanisms should streamline provenance research, improve access to archives and facilitate negotiations between countries and institutions holding African cultural property.
He said the objective should be to make the return of African heritage a predictable and structured process rather than an exceptional occurrence.
President Mahama further called on UNESCO, the United Nations and countries holding African artefacts to work towards establishing the necessary mechanisms to advance restitution.
He also linked the restitution agenda to broader efforts to strengthen Africa’s cultural infrastructure, including museums, archives, conservation facilities and digitisation initiatives.
By:Rachael Djabakie