Objectives:
Central to France’s restitution efforts following the Savoy-Sarr report commissioned by President Macron on African cultural heritage restitution. Implement systematic provenance research and concrete restitution measures.
Restitution Measures:
Parliamentary approval for actual returns – 26 works from Abomey royal treasury returned to Benin in 2021, including war spoils taken by General Dodds from King Béhanzin’s palace.
Limitations:
Case-by-case approach requiring individual parliamentary approval for each restitution. Process appears lengthy and bureaucratic, potentially limiting scope and speed of future returns despite established precedent.
