First in the world.
Objectives:
The Bill of 3 July 2022 recognizes the alienability of goods linked to the Belgian State’s colonial past and determines a legal framework for their restitution and return, making Belgium the first country with legislative framework allowing large-scale restitutions of colonial collections.
Measures:
Parliamentary approval and democratically backed adoption provides legal mechanism for bilateral restitution agreements.
Limitations:
Narrow scope (only cultural objects from former Belgian colonies, no archives or human remains), excludes local communities from restitution proceedings, and lacks procedural rules making the process less transparent and more political.
