Recent Posts


March 14, 2025
Laying Ancestors to Rest pulls no punches. The recommendations made in a new policy brief published by the All Party-Parliamentary Group on Afrikan-Reparations (APPG-AR) include making the sale of human remains illegal and putting an end to the public display of ancestral remains

Latest Restitution News


Recent articles added to our comprehensive resource list of restitution news from around the world



MAR 2025

United States

The Manhattan District Attorney's office has repatriated two fragments of Khmer sculptures to the Cambodia government as part of a wider investigation into antiquities trafficking
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MAR 2025

Spain

The remains of Fernando Tupac Amaru, the last direct Inca descendant executed in 1781, are to be repatriated by Spain to Cuzco, Peru
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MAR 2025

Netherlands

A Pohwith winter drum, sacred to the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo Native American tribe, is one of seven objects returned to the Texas-based tribe at a ceremony in Leiden
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MAR 2025

United Kingdom

The University of Aberdeen is holding a ceremony today to repatriate the skull of a young man, acquired in the 1850s, to the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre
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Restitution: Returning Colonial Loot

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From the Editor


The latest analysis and reports on  cultural restitution news


March 14, 2025
Laying Ancestors to Rest pulls no punches. The recommendations made in a new policy brief published by the All Party-Parliamentary Group on Afrikan-Reparations (APPG-AR) include making the sale of human remains illegal and putting an end to the public display of ancestral remains
January 30, 2025
What will it take to break the British Museum’s determination not to explain when an object is ‘unfit to be retained’?
December 1, 2024
There are several reasons why Britain’s new Labour administration may be closer to agreeing a loan of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece than the previous Conservative government, even though a full transfer of ownership remains firmly off the agenda
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About Cultural Restitution

Cultural restitution is the process by which a moveable object of historic or cultural value is returned to its country of origin after being seized, looted or acquired against the will of its owners. But it's more than just an act of return. It represents a growing recognition of the need to correct injustices committed in the past.


Today, as society’s values and the role of museums change, the legitimacy and ownership of these objects – as well as those thought to be procured legally – are coming under a spotlight. As complicated and sensitive as this debate may be, there’s no halting the growing debate between museums and communities of origin to find  solutions that build new bridges of friendship and cooperation. This involves a new approach to restitution built on  transparency and fairness - engaging with source communities and ensuring their voice is heard.

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Mapping the location of cultural restitutions

Our extensive Global Archive provides invaluable links to many other restitutions and other restitution news taking place around the world - organised by country.


View our Interactive Map  ➔

A Museum Perspective

"This work of redress is a crucial part of the work we want and need to do as it helps to restore trust and understanding, and builds hope for a future of peace through partnership."

Professor Dr Laura van Broekhoven, Director of the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford (Nov 2024)

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