Reparations: Ghana says Paris, Berlin and The Hague are ready to return works

Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa stated on September 23, 2026, in New York that France, Germany, and the Netherlands have declared themselves ready to return looted cultural property. He was speaking during a high-level meeting on restorative justice held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

Real but uneven commitments

According to the Ghanaian daily Graphic Online, the Netherlands has begun cataloging approximately 2,000 Ghanaian objects with a view to repatriation, Germany is in dialogue with the Kpando chieftaincy, and France has established a legislative framework to facilitate restitutions. The United Kingdom and Portugal have offered their support. Ablakwa also indicated that he had received a formal notification from the United States: Washington, which had voted against the UN resolution, now says it is ready to "begin working" with Accra.

From Accra to New York

The Ghanaian approach is based on the conference on restorative justice held in Accra in June 2026 and on resolution A/RES/80/250, which classifies the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity. Bénin Web TV reports that this text was adopted with 123 votes in favor, 3 against, and 52 abstentions. According to the media outlet The Voice of Africa, three mechanisms stem from this: a high-level advisory council, a global group of experts on heritage restitution, and a global legal group.

Accra presents the return of works as the first concrete target, ahead of official apologies, debt relief, and financial compensation. Ablakwa summarized the spirit claimed by his country: "to build, not break bridges" between Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Americas. Ghana cites the restitution of the Djidji Ayokwe talking drum to Côte d'Ivoire as a precedent.

What comes next

President John Dramani Mahama brought the issue before the General Assembly's general debate on September 24, 2026. However, no specific works, no timeline, and no amounts have yet been formally announced, notes Bénin Web TV.

This is exactly where the challenge lies. Recognition is now achieved on paper: a UN vote, a resolution, and well-meaning statements. What remains is to transform this into public inventories, departure dates, and planes taking off—for both objects and human remains still held in Western collections. People of African descent who have been carrying this demand for generations have learned to distinguish a press release from a crate that actually arrives.