France Looks at Law for Returning Colonial-Era Artifacts
The French government presented a draft law Wednesday that would enable France to return certain cultural artifacts taken from African countries during the colonial era.
The law, which will go to parliament for consideration, centers on the transfer of ownership of roughly 27 specific historical objects from Benin and Senegal.
French President Emmanuel Macron first announced plans to repatriate the cultural artifacts in 2018. The new legislation stipulates that these objects must be given back within one year from when the law goes into effect.
Museums such as the Louvre in Paris and London’s British Museum have vociferously opposed laws that would require them to send cultural artifacts back to their countries of origin, arguing that such policies would empty Western museums.
But critics of the West’s colonial-era collections have welcomed Macron’s incremental move.
“There’s a huge, much larger work of restitution that remains to be done,” says Françoise Verges, a scholar on questions of culture, race and colonization. She points to a 2018 state-commissioned study which counted at least 90,000 African works remaining in French museums.
Vocabulary:
draft law – (noun phrase) a proposed law presented to a government or parliament to be discussed, voted on, and officially passed, “The city council introduced a draft law to ban single-use plastic bags.”
cultural artifacts – (noun/plural phrase) objects made by humans that have historical, artistic, or cultural importance, “The museum is famous for its collection of ancient Greek cultural artifacts.”
colonial era – (noun phrase) the historical period when powerful nations took control of other countries and regions to build empires, “Many African nations gained their independence in the decades following the end of the colonial era.”
transfer of ownership – (noun phrase) the legal process of giving the property rights of something to someone else, “Buying a house requires a formal transfer of ownership from the seller to the buyer.”
repatriate – (verb) to send or bring someone or something back to their country of origin, “The government worked for years to repatriate historical paintings that were taken during the war.”
stipulates – (verb) clearly states or demands a specific rule, condition, or requirement in an agreement or law, “The contract stipulates that the project must be completed by the end of the month.”
goes into effect – (idiom/expression) becomes official, active, or legally enforced, “The new speed limit goes into effect starting next Monday.”
vociferously – (adverb) in a very loud, passionate, and forceful way, “The local residents vociferously opposed the plan to build a highway through their neighborhood.”
countries of origin – (noun/plural phrase) the original countries where people or objects come from, “The immigration officer checked the passports to verify the travelers’ countries of origin.”
incremental – (adjective) happening gradually in a series of small steps or stages rather than all at once, “The company made incremental improvements to the software over several months.”
restitution – (noun) the act of returning something that was lost or stolen to its rightful owner, “The court ordered the museum to make restitution by returning the stolen artwork to the family.”
state-commissioned – (adjective) formally ordered, requested, or funded by a government or state authority, “The university published a state-commissioned report on the environmental impact of local factories.”