QINGDAO CONFERENCE
“International Conference on the Protection and Return of Cultural Objects Removed from Colonial Contexts”
19-20 June, Qingdao
NOSTOS Strategies was invited to attend the International Conference on the Protection and Return of Cultural Objects Removed from Colonial Contexts, in Qingdao, China, as an International Expert. The conference was hosted by the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia (ACHA), following its Second Council Meeting, and the National Cultural Heritage Administration of China (NCHA). It drew over 150 delegates from 27 countries, including Cambodia, Armenia, Singapore and Honduras, as well as cultural institutions in the United Kingdom, United States, Norway and Germany.
During the conference, the Qingdao Recommendations for the Protection and Return of Cultural Objects Removed from Colonial Contexts or Acquired by Other Unjustifiable or Unethical Means were unveiled, which called for attention on the protection and return of cultural objects removed from Asian countries. It also encouraged States and heritage holders to recognise and redress the injustice of colonial acquisition when dealing with collections of cultural objects removed in such contexts, and to collaborate to address challenges related to the safeguarding and repatriation of cultural artefacts.
In his keynote address, Li Qun, director of the NCHA, underscored the conference’s objectives of knowledge exchange, consensus-building, and the exploration of strategies for the restitution of historically displaced cultural treasures that fall outside the purview of existing international agreements.
Professor Huo Zhengxin, Professor of Law at China University of Political Science and Law, delivered a report on the drafting of the Qingdao Recommendations, stating that the Qingdao Recommendations put forward specific methods and suggestions for dealing with cultural relics that were lost or obtained through unjust and immoral means, during periods of colonialism.
Her Excellency Pen Moni Makara, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of Cambodia, also delivered a presentation, providing an overview of Cambodia’s efforts to prevent and combat illicit trafficking of of its cultural heritage, and highlighting the success of its restitution team in effecting the return of hundreds of artefacts from around the world (see coverage in the Khmer Times).
The conference was covered in Global Times and China Daily. The Qingdao Conference holds historical significance as it brought together Asian nations, which have been profoundly impacted by the looting and trafficking of their cultural heritage during colonial times. There is still inadequate attention within the global community towards the return and protection of Asian cultural artefacts, and this conference provided a platform to highlight the collective interests and priorities of Asian countries on this issue.
