Objectives:
The objective of this document is to support Swedish museums in developing internal policies for handling restitution demands.
Restitution Measures:
The established framework encourages investigations to be conducted ethically and individually, instead of following a uniform procedure. It encourages museums to identify material heritage in their collections, to initiate dialogue with countries and communities of origin who are demanding repatriation and/or return, and to make assessments based on ethical, rather than legal requirement e.g. the spiritual and cultural significance of the heritage to a country or community. These exchanges are then meant to serve as the basis for recommendations to the State regarding material heritage that should be repatriated or returned.
Limitations:
Adopting these guidelines into internal policies is voluntary. Since they are not legally binding, Swedish museums can selectively apply these procedures, and Swedish law and State decisions can easily override any recommendations made by museums who do incorporate these procedures into their internal policies.
