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Switzerland returns Buddha statue to the Kingdom of Cambodia
On 6 February 2024, the Swiss Federal Office of Culture handed over a Buddha statue from the pre-Angkor or early Angkor period to the Royal Embassy of Cambodia to the Swiss Confederation. This was the first restitution between Switzerland and Cambodia and was therefore of symbolic importance.
The ceremony took place at the Federal Office of Culture in Bern and was attended by Mrs. Fabienne Baraga, Head of the Specialised Body for the International Transfer of Cultural Property at the Federal Office of Culture, H.E. Mr. IN Dara, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Cambodia to the Swiss Confederation, as well as other delegates from the Cambodian embassy and the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.
The object belonging to the cultural heritage of Cambodia was confiscated under the Cultural Property Transfer Act (CPTA). The CPTA implements the 1970 UNESCO Convention and the 2001 UNESCO Convention into domestic law and regulates the import of cultural property into Switzerland, its transit and export and its repatriation from Switzerland as well as measures against illicit transfer.
This collaboration represents a successful example of fighting against the illicit trafficking of cultural property within the framework of the UNESCO 1970 Convention and also demonstrates the importance of international cooperation in the protection of cultural heritage.
