The difficulty of the return of the Parthenon Sculptures, which has been firmly on its agenda for 40 years, was mentioned on the twenty fourth Session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Fee on the Return of Cultural Property to the International locations of Origin
“The Greek delegation offered intimately and totally the historical past of the case and Greece’s positions on the problem of the Parthenon Sculptures,” the Ministry of Overseas Affairs says in its announcement. And he notes: “By way of the testimonies of vacationers and students of Elgin’s time, he documented the violent removing of the architectural sculptures from the monument. He emphasised the non-existence of a firman and associated sultanic paperwork and the unlawful appropriation of the Sculptures by Lord Elgin, earlier than they ended up within the British Museum. He notably identified the problem of the ill-treatment of the Parthenon throughout their keep within the British Museum and their poor storage situations, as early because the nineteenth century. till in the present day. He knowledgeable the members of the Fee in regards to the ongoing, however thus far fruitless, efforts of the Greek aspect to enter right into a dialogue with the UK with the intention to discover a answer to this long-standing problem, in implementation of the UNESCO Suggestions and Resolution.
He acknowledged that the Parthenon Sculptures and the symbolism they include are an integral a part of the Greek cultural heritage and the Greek cultural id. Lastly, he known as on the UK, which is a member of the Intergovernmental Committee for the primary time, to exhibit in observe its will to adjust to the Suggestions and Selections of the Worldwide Group.
“The UK, in its personal place, insisted on its fastened positions on the matter, reiterating that the legislative framework in drive doesn’t permit the return of the Parthenon Sculptures to Greece, stressing that there isn’t any intention of the federal government to vary the precise legislation”, continues the announcement of the Ministry of Overseas Affairs. And he provides: “The presentation of the Greek delegation and its arguments had been warmly acquired and the overwhelming majority of member states of the Intergovernmental Committee (Italy, Czech Republic, Russia, Libya, Iraq, India, Chile, Venezuela, Panama, Guatemala, Gabon, Zambia, Egypt), but in addition observer states (Turkey, Palestine, Nicaragua, Honduras, Brazil) strongly supported the Greek positions and emphatically requested the UK to return the Sculptures to Greece, with the intention to reunite them with the Parthenon, a monument- image of Western Civilization”.
Institution of an Intergovernmental Committee
The Intergovernmental Committee adopted a Suggestion, within the textual content of which, amongst different issues:
• Refers to its earlier suggestions and selections;
• Expresses its deep concern that the decision of the matter stays pending for a very long time,
• Calls as soon as once more on the 2 sides to accentuate their efforts to resolve the dispute bearing in mind the historic, cultural, authorized and ethical dimensions of the problem,
• Calls on the Director Common of UNESCO to assist maintain the mandatory conferences between Greece and the UK with the intention to attain a mutually acceptable answer to the problem of the Parthenon Sculptures.
• Decides to incorporate the problem of the Sculptures within the agenda of the twenty fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Committee.
The Greek delegation was attended by the Secretary Common of Tradition Georgios Didaskalou, the Common Director of the Acropolis Museum Prof. Nikolaos Stampolidis, the Common Director of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage Olympia Vikatos and the Head of the Directorate of Documentation and Safety of Cultural Belongings Vasiliki Papageorgiou. From the Ministry of Overseas Affairs, the pinnacle of the Division of Worldwide Regulation, Artemis Papathanasiou, and from the Everlasting Delegation of Greece to UNESCO, the everlasting consultant, Ambassador Georgios Koumoutsakos, participated.
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