Objectives:
The Parliamentary Commission on Colonial Past was established by the Belgian federal government in July 2020 to investigate Belgium’s colonial history, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi. The commission shall investigate the role of ‘the Belgian State, the Belgian authorities and non-state actors in colonial activities.
Restitution Measures:
The commission implemented significant restitution measures, including the Bill of 3 July 2022 to recognise the alienability of goods linked to the Belgian State’s colonial past and to determine a legal framework for their restitution and return, making Belgium the first country with comprehensive parliamentary legislation for colonial collection restitution. While the Commission’s work created momentum and context for restitution discussions, the Bill was developed by legal experts and adopted through a separate parliamentary process.
Framework Limitations:
The Commission on the Belgian Colonial Past does not have investigative powers to access closed archival documents and an official apology to the victims of colonialism had not been approved. The legislation keeps its scope quite narrow, only covering cultural objects from former Belgian colonies and excluding archives, human remains, and local communities within the State of origin from being involved in restitution proceedings. The law excludes claims from communities within countries of origin and excludes claims from countries that were not previously Belgian colonies.
