The Global Governance of Cultural Artifacts Restitution: Rules, Actors and Working Mechanism

Abstract

This article aims to explore the realm of global governance of cultural artifacts involving the restitution and repatriation of artworks to their countries of origin. The study seeks to delve into various aspects, encompassing: 1) the international norms and mechanisms for claiming and restituting cultural artifacts back to their countries of origin; 2) the key stakeholders which are involved in the process; and 3) the operational mechanics and entities in the process of this global governance.  The research reveals that the global governance of cultural artifacts restitution shows a characteristic of fragmentation, which makes in the law, international agreements, actors and the process of this aforementioned global governance different and varying without rules, orders and actors that have supreme authority to create order and process of the global governance. Consequently, the state still remains a central actor and plays a pivotal role in the cultural heritage restitution and repatriation process, which consists of three main stages: fostering awareness, garnering public support, establishing and enforcing institutional frameworks for restitution rules and criteria, and executing global diplomatic mechanisms. Furthermore, beyond the purview of state-driven actions, additional stakeholders such as international organizations, museums, civil societies, arts traders and auctioneers also play the influential roles and are involved in the process as well.