UNESCO Commission calls for solution to the issue of the Parthenon Sculptures

The 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in case of Illicit Appropriation (ICPRCP) which was held in Room II, UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 29 to 30 September 2016 noted the following regarding the issue of the return of the Parthenon Sculptures: "The case of Parthenon Sculptures was submitted to the Committee in 1984. Since then, the Committee has been examining it during its successive sessions and has adopted several Recommendations expressing concern for a mutually-acceptable solution to be reached and inviting the Director-General to facilitate encounters to that effect. On many occasions, UNESCO reiterated its readiness to act as facilitator between Greece and the United Kingdom in this regard.

UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin 
or its Restitution in case of Illicit Appropriation called for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures 
[Credit: Matt Dunham/Associated Press]

Pursuant to Recommendation No. 5 adopted at the eighteenth session of the Committee (Paris, 22 June 2012), the Director-General assisted in convening the necessary meetings between Greece and the United Kingdom with the aim of reaching a mutually acceptable solution to the issue of the Parthenon Sculptures. On 23 July 2013, the Director-General met the Minister of Culture of the Hellenic Republic. During their discussion the Minister expressed his hopes ‘that UNESCO could use its good offices with the authorities of the United Kingdom as a facilitator in the matter of the Parthenon sculptures. In that regard, he referred to the mediation and conciliation roles UNESCO played in 2010 in the context of this Committee’.

Following this meeting, the Assistant Director-General for Culture sent a letter to the United Kingdom authorities, informing them of the will of the Greek authorities to possibly resort to the mediation/conciliation procedure.

During the 19th Session, the Committee acknowledged the cooperation between Greek and British authorities, encouraged them to continue the discussions and invited them to consider making use of the mediation and conciliation procedure.

According to Article 6 (1) of the Rules of Procedure for Mediation and Conciliation, in order to launch this process, mutual consent of countries concerned is required for the process to be launched. However, on 26 March 2015, United Kingdom informed UNESCO that they did not believe the application of the mediation procedure would substantially carry forward this debate."

Source: Tornos News [October 03, 2016]