PARIS, 03 Oct. - (ANA) - A UNESCO official vying to head the UN’s culture and education agency said he would build more museums in Africa to house artifacts returned from overseas if he secured the top job. Firmin Edouard Matoko, a veteran diplomat and economist from Congo Brazzaville, told Semafor the move would boost cultural tourism across the continent.

 

Matoko, who is competing with Egypt’s former tourism minister to head UNESCO, welcomed the trend of recent years for countries to return artifacts stolen in the colonial era. “The issue is not only giving back the artifacts, but it’s also setting up a museum and training the people on how to preserve those artifacts,” he said in an interview, adding that this would help to prevent the “illicit” trade of returned items.

 

Matoko said former colonial powers should be responsible for “some follow up action,” such as providing funding to build museums. Along with job creation, cultural tourism would offer countries a way to boost revenues through money spent by visitors in admission fees, hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shops. UNESCO’s executive board will vote on Oct. 6 to select its nominee.   - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/03 October 2025  - - -