Hearings on the return of African artefacts and ancestral remains

Early day motion 83, tabled 20 November 2023 by Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour). Signed by 23 members.

That this House seeks to honour and continue the work of the late Bernie Grant, former Member of Parliament for Tottenham, on the restitution of African artefacts and ancestral remains; notes the recent report by the APPG on Afrikan Reparations entitled, Hearings on the Restitution of Stolen African Artefacts and Ancestral Remains, which brings together a diverse range of experts and perspectives on the matter of restitution of African artefacts and human remains from museums and other cultural institutions; agrees that countries have the right to care for their own cultural heritage, and their own cultural artefacts; is appalled by the disregard shown by the British Museum for the significance of some of the cultural artefacts in its possession, which has led to several cultural artefacts being improperly quantified, organised or labelled; believes this demonstrates the British Museum’s unsuitability to be a proper custodian of the cultural artefacts of other nations; regrets that British institutions are falling behind other countries such as Germany who are now leading on restitution issues after having recognised the moral and ethical dimensions of the issue; suggests that through supporting restitution efforts and implementing necessary changes to legislation and museum practices, the Government can take significant steps towards rectifying historical injustices and fostering a more equitable and inclusive approach to cultural heritage; and calls on the Government to acknowledge and enact the seven recommendations in the APPG for Afrikan Reparation’s report entitled, Hearings on the Restitution of Stolen African Artefacts and Ancestral Remains.

Signatures by party: Labour 12, Independent 3, Plaid Cymru 3, Scottish National Party 3, Green 1, Labour/Co-operative 1.