Commentary: The Global Repatriation Debate and the New “Universal Museums”

The Declaration on the Importance and Value of Universal Museums was issued unilaterally in 2002 by 19 of the richest and most prominent museums of the world. ¹ To date, it is the most forceful general counterattack on rising repatriation demands. It is part of a new, powerful countertrend to not just defend existing collections, but also to favor the continued collecting of looted antiquities, in the name of “art” for a global audience.