Paris: In a powerful keynote address delivered at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris during Africa Week 2025, Ambassador Lorenzo Llewellyn Witherspoon, Special Envoy on Cultural and Heritage Diplomacy for the Republic of Liberia, issued a resounding call for global solidarity to restore African heritage through the transformative pillars of education, culture, and science. Speaking on the theme Global Solidarity for the Restitution and Restoration of African Heritage through Education, Culture, and Sciences, Ambassador Witherspoon emphasized the historical and contemporary relevance of Africa's contributions to global knowledge, as well as the critical need to reclaim displaced cultural treasures and repair the intellectual rupture caused by colonialism. According to African Press Organization, Ambassador Witherspoon declared that Africa has always been at the forefront of human ingenuity, citing examples such as the advanced ironwork of the Nok civilization, the astronomical knowledge of the Dogon, and the learni ng centers of Timbuktu. He highlighted that this legacy has been systematically erased, appropriated, or ignored. Thus, he called for a new global compact based on concrete actions, including restoring displaced cultural artifacts, investing in Africa's research capacity, revising curricula to reflect African perspectives, and addressing historical injustices that continue to impede the continent's development. The Ambassador drew attention to the intellectual and cultural dispossession experienced across Africa and the African diaspora, linking it to the CARICOM Reparatory Justice agenda and Africa's broader fight for dignity and historical memory. He described the destruction of historical memory as a crime requiring reparations and reinforced the role of museums, educational institutions, and cultural exchange in healing intergenerational trauma. Highlighting the plight of the African diaspora, Ambassador Witherspoon spoke about the forced separation of enslaved Africans from their homelands, describing i t as a fundamental element of the colonial agenda that continues to inflict cultural and social alienation. He affirmed that reparatory justice must include restoring dignity and rebuilding the bridges of belonging. Ambassador Witherspoon urged the international community to view 2025 as a turning point, designating it as a year characterized by deliberate action. He concluded with a call to transform Africa Week from a ceremonial gathering into a launchpad for systemic change, emphasizing the importance of reclaiming African heritage not only in artifacts or archives but in spirit, story, and self-determination. Through science, culture, and education, he asserted, a future can be shaped in which African heritage is not only restored but empowered to thrive.