Culture Working Group (CWG) of G20 organizes global thematic webinar on Protection and Restitution of Cultural Property today
The Culture Working Group (CWG) under India’s G20 Presidency in association with UNESCO as the Knowledge Partner organized the global thematic webinar on, “Protection and Restitution of Cultural Property” today.
Govind Mohan, Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Chair, CWG in his opening remarks at the inaugural global thematic webinar suggested , “…Illicit trafficking, which may be driven in part by poverty and greed, is primarily exacerbated by poor education and a lack of awareness. Regardless of the cause, illicit trafficking diminishes the collective memory of people and communities, weakens their sense of identity, and undermines the exercise of their cultural rights.”
The webinar witnessed fruitful discussions and sharing of best practices on the long-standing issue of illicit trafficking and restitution of cultural property, bringing together 40 experts from 28 countries including G20 members and guest nations, as well as 12 international organizations.
During the webinar, it was emphasized that there is a crucial need to improve the inventorying, documentation, risk management, and emergency planning processes to prevent illicit trafficking. Furthermore, it was highlighted that promoting an ethical art market, conducting provenance research, and ensuring transparency, particularly in the G20 members with the biggest art markets, is of utmost importance. The challenges posed by online trading were
also discussed, and the urgent need to strengthen regulations of the online trade of cultural property to curb illicit trafficking was suggested.
Many countries shared examples of recent processes of restitution of cultural property, reflecting notably progress towards ethical collection management, while also highlighting a growing attention of the general public. Some speakers shared specific good practices in that regard, including the creation of a dedicated national committee for the return and repatriation of cultural property.
Several recommendations were formulated to the attention of the G20 membership, including the creation of national institutes of provenance research or the creation of exchange platforms to share examples of cooperation on the return and restitution of cultural property.
A consolidated report of the four global thematic webinars will be produced and shared with G20 members, guest nations and international organizations at the third CWG meeting due in Hampi, Karnataka from 15 July to 18 July 2023. The aim of this report is to be a legacy of the joint work, deliberations, and discussions of the CWG process, with a view to ensure knowledge building over time. The following global thematic webinars on priority two, three and four are scheduled for 13th, 19th and 20th April respectively.