The ECOWAS Regional Monitoring Committee on the Action Plan 2019-2023 on the return of cultural properties to their countries will hold a three-day meeting in Cotonou, Benin Republic from June 29 – July 1, 2021.

 The ECOWAS Action Plan 2019-2023 was approved by the Authority of Heads of State and Government in December 2019, with the aim of contributing to the returning ECOWAS Member States’ cultural goods to their countries of origin, in order to reconstitute the regional cultural heritage.

The Action Plan in its implementation mechanism, provides for the establishment of a Regional Committee in charge of the monitoring of the action plan.

The Regional Monitoring Committee is mandated to validate the roadmap of the Action Plan, ensure compliance with the Action Plan roadmap, support the mobilization of resources to finance the Action Plan on the return of the cultural properties, support Member States in the process of requests for the return of their cultural properties, support the strategy of negotiations with the holder countries for the return of cultural goods to their countries of origin and report to Heads of State on the implementation of the Action Plan.

The Regional Committee includes eminent personalities from the political, diplomatic and cultural world.