International Desk: The French Parliament has recently passed a bill aimed at simplifying the process of returning cultural artifacts that were illegally acquired from other countries. The legislation, which addresses the repatriation of cultural treasures lost abroad, has attracted widespread international attention.

A global survey conducted by China Global Television Network (CGTN) found that 67.6 percent of respondents believe the bill marks France’s first legal step toward acknowledging and rectifying its history of colonial plunder.

The newly adopted legislation introduces relevant provisions into France’s “Heritage Code,” allowing foreign cultural artifacts that meet repatriation criteria to be removed from state collections and museums. As a result, repatriation requests can now be approved through administrative procedures, eliminating the need for separate legislation for each individual case. According to the survey, 90.8 percent of respondents praised the French Parliament’s initiative to streamline the return of unlawfully acquired cultural property.

For decades, French state museums have housed vast collections of artifacts obtained during the colonial era. Under existing French law, cultural objects held in public collections were, in principle, considered inalienable and could not be transferred. Returning such items previously required the passage of specific laws on a case-by-case basis, making the process lengthy and highly complicated.

The CGTN survey further revealed that 85.4 percent of respondents believe France’s move challenges the long-standing Western notion of legitimizing the looting of cultural artifacts and could encourage other nations to reassess their own cultural heritage policies.

However, the bill also imposes several restrictions regarding the identification of recoverable artifacts and the procedures governing their return. In addition, the French government is required to submit an annual report to Parliament detailing repatriation requests received from foreign countries and the progress made in each case.

In this regard, 91.1 percent of respondents stressed that the passage of the bill does not guarantee the automatic return of the artifacts concerned. Rather, they believe the recovery of illegally acquired cultural property will remain a long and demanding process.

Cultural artifacts embody the historical continuity and identity of nations and their peoples, carrying the legacy of cultural heritage across generations. The return of looted artifacts has therefore become a shared aspiration among countries affected by colonial exploitation.

The survey showed that 91.1 percent of respondents consider the possession of cultural artifacts obtained through colonial expansion and war to be entirely unjustifiable, calling for their immediate return to their countries of origin. Furthermore, 96.5 percent urged the international community to establish stronger and more enforceable international regulations under the framework of international law. Such measures, respondents argued, would create an effective mechanism for the repatriation of looted cultural property and accelerate the return of displaced artifacts to their rightful homes.

The survey was published across CGTN’s English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian-language platforms. Within 24 hours, 4,127 internet users from around the world participated and shared their views.

Source: Lili–Touhid–Anandi, China Media Group.