President John Dramani Mahama has called on the United Nations (UN) and UNESCO to take the lead in creating stronger international frameworks to facilitate the return of African artefacts and ancestral human remains held in museums and private collections outside the continent.
He made the call on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at a high-level side event on reparatory justice in New York, held as part of activities marking the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
President Mahama said laws and procedures in countries holding African cultural properties should be reviewed to reduce the legal and administrative barriers that make restitution difficult.
He argued that the continued possession of African artefacts and human remains was not merely a question of ownership, but also one of dignity, identity and justice.
“Human remains are not collectibles. They are not specimens. They are our ancestors. They are our fathers, mothers, kings, and elders,” he said.
According to the President, generations of Africans have been separated from important elements of their history and cultural identity following the removal of artefacts and human remains during conquest, punitive expeditions and colonial rule.
He cited the 1874 British destruction and looting of the Asante Royal Palace in Kumasi, noting that some of the heritage taken from Ghana has since been returned, including the Mpomponsuo sword in 2024.
President Mahama also referred to the case of King Badu Bonsu II of Ahanta, who was executed by Dutch authorities in 1838 and whose head was taken to the Netherlands for phrenological studies before his remains were returned to Ghana in 2009.
He said such cases demonstrate the need for restitution efforts to cover not only cultural objects but also the human remains of Africans held abroad.
“Restoring them is not a matter of legal ownership; it is a fundamental test of our shared human dignity,” he said.
President Mahama said Africa was prepared and had the capacity to receive and preserve returned cultural properties and human remains.
He indicated that Ghana was prepared to commit to the development of appropriate museum facilities to preserve and safeguard such items.
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