The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has called on European institutions that continue to withhold items of Ghanaian and African heritage to emulate the example set by the International Slavery Museum (ISM) which has committed to returning loaned artefacts to Ghana.
She made the call during a discussion with the leadership of the ISM in Liverpool, where she reaffirmed Ghana’s position on the restitution of cultural property and pressed for the conclusion of the return process.
The discussions centred on a set of 18th-century slavery shackles and other items of national heritage significance that were loaned to the ISM in 2005 and are yet to be returned to Ghana.
She noted that her intervention was necessitated by obstacles that had previously hampered progress on the return of the loaned items and expressed her commitment to resolving the outstanding issues and bringing the matter to a successful conclusion.
Speaking at the meeting, she highlighted the importance of the return process both in her capacity as Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts and as Acting Chair of the ECOWAS Sub-committee on Reparations and Restitutions.
She commended the ISM for its commitment to returning the loaned items, describing the museum’s stance as a standard that other European institutions holding Ghanaian and African heritage objects ought to follow.
The Minister assured the ISM of the continued goodwill and support of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts and the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board for future collaboration between the two institutions.
She called on institutions across Europe that are currently declining to return items of Ghanaian and African heritage to reconsider their positions and act in the spirit of international goodwill and cultural justice.
On the sidelines of her official engagements, the Minister toured the galleries of the World Museum in Liverpool, where she inspected a collection of Ghanaian artworks currently on display.
She commended the museum’s efforts in showcasing Ghana’s rich cultural heritage to an international audience and expressed appreciation for the role such institutions play in promoting awareness of African history and civilisation abroad.
Adwoa Koramah Anokye-Gyimah, ISD
