Dutch gov’t to return 2000 Ghanaian cultural artefacts – Ablakwa

The Netherlands will return 2,000 Ghanaian cultural artefacts as international support for reparatory justice continues to gather momentum, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has announced.

Speaking on Friday at an event held as part of the Next Steps Conference on Reparatory Justice in Accra, Mr Ablakwa said the conference had already produced significant outcomes, particularly in efforts to recover Ghana’s cultural heritage held abroad.

“Accra Next Steps has achieved so much. For those of you who were not in the room last night at the plenary, we had the Dutch government announce through their ambassador here that they are returning two thousand artifacts that they have catalogued and they presented the catalogue to President Mahama,” he said.

Mr Ablakwa described the development as a major breakthrough in Ghana’s campaign to reclaim cultural treasures taken from the country during the colonial era.

He said the return of the artefacts reflects growing international recognition of the need to address historical injustices and restore important symbols of Ghana’s identity and heritage.

The minister also disclosed that Germany had expressed readiness to hand over additional artefacts traced to a community in the Volta Region.

“The German government has also announced that they have identified artifacts from the Kpando area they are willing and ready to return,” he stated.

The Next Steps Conference on Reparatory Justice, convened by President John Dramani Mahama, has brought together government officials, academics, diplomats and advocates from several countries to advance discussions on reparations and historical accountability.

The conference follows the recent adoption of a United Nations resolution recognising the transatlantic slave trade and enslavement as among the gravest crimes against humanity.

Participants have used the platform to push for concrete actions, including the return of looted cultural objects, financial reparations and stronger partnerships between African countries and institutions in Europe and the Americas.

Ghana has intensified efforts in recent years to recover cultural artefacts removed from the country and currently housed in museums and private collections overseas.

The anticipated return of thousands of artefacts from the Netherlands and Germany will strengthen the preservation of Ghana’s heritage, promote historical education and deepen ongoing conversations about justice, restitution and reconciliation for communities affected by colonial exploitation.