By: Isaac Kwabena Boadu Date: 22nd June, 2026
The Next Steps conference a High-Level Consultative Conference on the Landmark UN Resolution on the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans on reparatory justice, convened in Accra from June 17th to 19th, has yielded concrete commitments from European governments regarding the restitution of Ghanaian cultural artefacts.
During the plenary session held in recent days, the Foreign Minister of Ghana Hon. Okudzeto Ablakwa announced that the outcomes of the gathering extended beyond rhetorical commitments to tangible agreements with former colonial powers.
On June 19th, the Dutch government noted that they will return 2,000 artefacts currently held in Dutch collections that are slated for repatriation to Ghana. Hon. Okudzeto Ablakwa stated that Germany had identified cultural items originating from the Kpando traditional area and expressed readiness to repatriate them. Addressing the conference virtually on the same day, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged that France would collaborate with Ghana to establish a scientific commission to trace African cultural objects held abroad. President Macron described the initiative as essential to securing “reparatory justice in all its forms” and advancing historical accountability.
The diplomatic momentum has extended to the Caribbean Netherlands. The Dutch are working on recommendations for the restitution of items held in Dutch museum depots. These parallel processes indicate a growing consensus among European institutions and Caribbean stakeholders that restitution must proceed through structured, research-based mechanisms rather than ad hoc arrangements.
President Mahama’s administration has placed cultural restitution and reparatory justice at the forefront of its foreign policy priorities. The forum demonstrates the government’s continued diplomatic engagement.
AFRICAN VOICES INTERNATIONAL, FREEDOM IN AFRICA
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