CGTN Poll: Simplifying return of looted artworks marks first step of historical redress

Recently, French lawmakers approved a draft law on simplifying the restitution procedure of cultural property illicitly acquired during the colonial era. A global survey conducted by CGTN shows that 67.6% of respondents believe the bill represents France's first legal step toward confronting and rectifying its history of colonial plunder.

The bill amends the French Heritage Code by introducing new provisions, permitting foreign cultural artefacts eligible for restitution to be removed from public collections. Restitution cases will now be approved via administrative procedures, eliminating the need for piecemeal legislative approval for each individual case.

In the survey, 90.8% of respondents approve the French lawmakers' move to simplify the restitution procedure for illicitly obtained cultural items. Meanwhile, 85.4% of respondents note that this move dismantles the narrative upheld by Western colonial powers that looted cultural relics can be legally legitimized and could push some countries to rethink their own policies on restitution of plundered cultural property.

Nevertheless, the bill imposes multiple restrictions regarding the eligibility criteria and procedures for cultural property eligible for restitution. Additionally, the French government is also required to submit an annual report to Parliament, detailing foreign restitution requests received and progress in their handling.

In the survey, 91.1% of respondents hold that the passage of the bill does not guarantee the automatic return of relevant cultural property, and there is still a long way to go in repatriating colonial-era cultural artefacts.

Cultural property embodies the cultural heritage and historical lineage of nations and ethnic groups. Securing the return of displaced artifacts to their places of origin is a shared aspiration of all countries that suffered colonial looting.

Survey results show that 91.1% of respondents believe cultural property seized through colonial expansion and wars lacks any legitimate basis, and it is a moral imperative for the colonial powers to return plundered cultural artefacts to their countries of origin.

Moreover, 96.5% urge the international community to establish more binding and enforceable global norms under international law, along with a dedicated mechanism for the restitution of looted cultural property, so that displaced artifacts may return home at the earliest opportunity.

Released across CGTN's English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian platforms, the poll garnered 4127 responses from global online users within 24 hours, who shared their views on the issue.