Return or restitution of cultural property to the countries of origin

Commends Unesco and the Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in Case of Illicit Appropriation on the work they have accomplished, in particular through the promotion of bilateral negotiations, for the return or restitution of cultural property, the preparation of inventories of movable cultural property, the reduction of illicit traffic in cultural property and the dissemination of information to the public; reaffirms that the restitution to a country of its objects d'art, monuments, museum pieces, archives, manuscripts, documents and any other cultural or artistic treasures contributes to the strengthening of international cooperation and to the preservation and flowering of universal cultural values through fruitful cooperation between developed and developing countries; requests the Secretary-General, in collaboration with Unesco to continue to develop all possibilities for bringing about the attainment of the objectives of resolution 50/56; also requests the Secretary-General, in cooperation with the Director-General of Unesco, to submit to the General Assembly at its 54th session a report on the implementation of the present resolution.

Adopted 87-0-23, 55th meeting

2 p.

Adopted at the 55th plenary meeting, 25 Nov. 1997.