Objectives:
These principles aim to establish a framework for identifying, managing, and returning colonial-era cultural heritage, shifting the focus from purely legalistic, ownership-based approaches to ethical, restorative justice.
Restitution Measures:
The principles outline initiative-taking measures for returning colonial-era collections. They suggest a high prioritisation of the repatriation of human ancestors. They encourage the communication of provenance research to the community or country of origin, particularly through dialogue. And they propose alternatives to physical return, including collaboration, sharing and exchanges, particularly between States.
Limitations:
These principles are non-binding and State-centric. Adherence to them is voluntary and driven by institutional or political will. This means they offer limited guidance in terms of negotiating repatriation, return and restitution once initiative has been taken by a Belgian institution or the State.
