ECOWAS and artifact repatriation

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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has emerged as a key regional actor in the movement to repatriate cultural property removed during colonial and post-colonial conflicts. Established in 1975, ECOWAS unites fifteen West African countries under a treaty that promotes economic integration and cultural cooperation.^[1] In 2019, its Ministers of Culture adopted a Regional Action Plan for the return of African cultural artefacts to their countries of origin, marking a formal commitment to correct historical injustices and to safeguard regional heritage.^[2][3]