Global Convening for the Restitution of African Cultural Heritage

In recent years, the long struggle for the restitution of African heritage, which started during colonization, entered a new phase: In 2017, there was a resurgence of the movement which urged lawmakers, private collectors, and museums to expedite objects illicitly taken from the African continent during the colonial-period. At a time when there is global pressure to repatriate African heritage, it's critical that there is a global alliance of stakeholders that through advocacy and negotiation can see returns through. Against this backdrop, Open Society hosted the Global Convening for the Restitution for African Cultural Heritage, a three-day summit in Accra, Ghana in August 2024. The summit focused on interrogating key questions to continue to advance and build a resilient and sustainable restitution movement. The convening featured opening and closing plenary sessions, interactive thematic sessions, performances, and networking opportunities for key stakeholders including, representatives from the African Union, ECOWAS, NGOs, UN agencies, artists, academia, creative communities, civil society, and the African diaspora.