NEPAL
International Conference on the Recovery of Cultural Heritage
16-18 june, Lalitpur
On 16-18 June 2025, NOSTOS Strategies was invited to deliver a keynote presentation at the International Conference on the Recovery of Cultural Heritage, jointly hosted by the National Heritage Recovery Campaign (NHRC) and the Department of Archaeology of the Ministry of Culture of Nepal.
The conference, which took place in Lalitpur, Nepal, brought together experts, cultural institutions, legal scholars, diplomats and grassroots activists to discuss the repatriation of stolen, lost, and displaced cultural heritage.
Melina Antoniadis of NOSTOS Strategies and Bradley J. Gordon of Edenbridge Asia delivered the keynote presentation on “Cambodia’s campaign to recover its national treasures”.
Melina and Brad outlined the Cambodia’s strategic approach – from assembling a local and multidisciplinary restitution team to collecting evidence, including testimony from former looters. A key success factor was the use of storytelling to engage public support and media attention.
They highlighted Cambodia’s use of restitution as a tool for cultural diplomacy, while also addressing ongoing challenges such as museum resistance to transparency, antiquities held in private collections, and the need for greater international cooperation.
Finally, Melina and Brad proposed that Cambodia’s campaign could serve as a compelling case study for other nations seeking to recover their lost heritage. In particular, they suggested that Nepal – currently working to reclaim its deities – could be guided by Cambodia’s strategy, particularly its emphasis on storytelling, effective negotiation, and the formation of a dedicated, multidisciplinary team.
Cambodia’s restitution team offered to share insights, methodologies, and best practices to support Nepal in its own efforts to recover its stolen cultural heritage.
Speeches were also delivered by Nepal’s Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pradeep Gyawali, UNESCO Country Representative, Jaco du Toit, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, US Embassy, Mike Harker, and Deputy Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Sunita Dangol.
The participants adopted the Lalitpur Call to International Action for the Return of Stolen Heritage, which notably stressed that:
“While there are some countries and societies that have succeeded in achieving the return of many heritage objects, such as Cambodia and India, there are other places where there is very little knowledge, information or activism. Even within countries, there are regions where there is more awareness and activism than in other parts. We believe it is our common responsibility to raise the voice of the voiceless communities that have seen and continue to face loss of heritage.”
Speeches were delivered by Nepal’s Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Pradeep Gyawali; Jaco du Toit, UNESCO Country Representative; Mike Harker, and Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, US Embassy, and Sunita Dangol, Deputy Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City.
The conference received coverage in Nepali Times, The Kathmandu Post, and The Diplomat Nepal.
