Speaking at a side event co-hosted by Ghana, Germany&France, under the theme “FROM COMMITMENTS TO ACTION ON REPARATORY JUSTICE: Advancing International Cooperation for the Return and Restitution of Cultural Properties and Heritage,” President Boakai proposed a Liberia–Ghana Cultural Heritage and Historical Recovery Cooperation Framework. He said the two countries should turn their shared commitment to Africa’s history into practical work.
“I believe the next phase must move from conversation to practical cooperation,” President Boakai said.
Under the proposed framework, Liberian and Ghanaian institutions would work together to digitize historical records, train archivists and museum professionals, research and preserve historic sites, and develop exhibitions and educational programs. The partnership would also support efforts to identify cultural materials of African origin and explore their possible return.
President Boakai said Ghana’s experience would be valuable as Liberia advances plans for a Peace, Reconciliation, and Memorial Museum. The proposed museum would preserve Liberia’s national memory and help future generations understand the country’s difficult history and its path toward peace.
The Liberian Leader also highlighted Providence Island and other significant sites in Liberia, calling for preservation efforts that include research, community participation, and opportunities for young people to learn their history.
President Boakai expressed the view that the return of cultural objects is only one part of a larger responsibility, positing that, “Restitution should ultimately be about more than the physical return of objects.” He furthered that, “It should also be about the return of knowledge, the recovery of historical records, the restoration of dignity, the preservation of memory, and the renewal of African institutions.”
The President proposed that Liberia and Ghana appoint a small technical working group to identify immediate areas of cooperation, to eventually be formulated into a formal agreement.
“Ghana and Liberia have an opportunity to demonstrate that African solidarity can translate into practical action,” President Boakai noted.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Government of Liberia.
