France Adopts Law on Return of Cultural Assets to Former Colonies
French lawmakers have passed a law that simplifies the return of cultural assets taken from former colonies. The French National Assembly unanimously supported this bill, and it had previously been approved by the Senate, reports Euronews.
Photo: AP Photo/Michel Euler
The law provides for a simpler procedure for returning artworks and artifacts taken from former French colonies, such as Algeria, Mali, or Benin. Special attention is paid to items taken between 1815 and 1972 — before the entry into force of the international convention on the protection of cultural heritage.
This decision continues the policy of French President Emmanuel Macron, who in 2017 already declared the necessity of returning African cultural heritage. He emphasized that such assets should not reside solely in European museums and private collections.
According to the new law, countries must officially request the return and guarantee that the items will be preserved and displayed to the public. After this, a special commission will decide whether they were obtained by France illegally or by force.
However, the law does not affect certain categories of assets, such as military objects, state archives, and parts of archaeological finds.
Despite the eventual unanimous support, disputes arose during the discussion regarding the period to which the new rules should apply.
Recently, France has already begun returning individual artifacts, for example, a sacred drum taken from Côte d'Ivoire in 1916.
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