Statement by Director of the Department of International Organizations of the MFA of Russia Kirill Logvinov at the High-Level Event on the topic “From Commitment to Action on Reparatory Justice: Strengthening International Cooperation for the Return and Restitution of Cultural Property and Heritage”
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
On behalf of the Russian Federation I thank Ghana for choosing such an important issue for discussion.
The tragic pages of humanity’s past have not been turned with injustices persisting. Colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade constitute crimes against humanity. The consequences of these crimes continue to impact today all areas of life, including culture.
The adoption of UN General Assembly resolution 80/250 was a historic milestone to ensure reparatory justice. It sent an unequivocal message that further concealment of the crimes committed by colonizers is unacceptable.
In order to restore historical justice, it is necessary to provide a legal qualification of the acts committed by European colonizers and American slave traders as crimes against humanity, determine the material and non-material damage caused, and establish reparation mechanisms.
Russia urges all countries to responsibly implement their obligations under the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. We attach great importance to establishing dialogue among States and ensuring the effective functioning of the relevant UNESCO mechanisms, particularly, the Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in Case of Illicit Appropriation.
We consider it important for the international community to translate the intentions set out in international political documents into practical action. We are resolute to implement the commitments enshrined in the Declaration of the Second Russia-Africa Summit to contribute to completing the decolonization of Africa and to seek compensation for the economic and humanitarian damage suffered by affected countries. We note the need for States to take measures to return or restitute works of art, artefacts and manuscripts to their countries of origin, as well as to ensure access to such objects in order to preserve identity and intergenerational continuity, as reflected, at Russia’s initiative, in UN General Assembly resolution 79/133.
To conclude, I do think that the issue we discussed today is of great importance in terms of building a more fair and democratic multipolar world order.
