The German government is creating a new council to oversee the restitution of artifacts acquired in a colonial context, the Art Newspaper reported Tuesday. The new panel, known as the Coordination Council for Returns of Cultural Property and Human Remains from Colonial Contexts, will be made up of representatives from German government, state, and municipal authorities, according to a statement released yesterday.

The council is “an important step in responsibly handling cultural property and human remains from colonial contexts,” explained German culture minister Wolfram Weimer.