UNESCO To Mediate Return of Parthenon Marbles, Invites UK to Round table

Greek and British officials met last weekend in Paris to begin discussing the return of the Parthenon Marbles. The meeting was held in the framework of the 19th Session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Restitution of Cultural Property. Following the meeting, a formal recommendation was addressed to the government of the United Kingdom requesting its participation in a UNESCO-mediated process that simply aims to finally resolve the issue.

The UK now has a period of six months to respond to UNESCO’s invitation (but is not obliged to accept UNESCO’s mediation attempt).

Participants at the meeting included Acropolis Museum President Dimitrios Pandermalis as well as representatives from the British Museum and the culture and foreign affairs ministries of both Greece and the UK governments.

Without a doubt, Greece has always wanted to make the reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures into an international affair and this latest initiative will give us the hand we need in order to achieve this.

Let us not forget that the issue of the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles and their return to Greece gained international spotlight in 2013 when Hollywood actor George Clooney made a public statement in favor of their return. At the time, some believed that Clooney was just being charming, but those who have been following his career know that he is also very politically outspoken. This is why it is no surprise that his newly married wife, international lawyer Amal Alamuddin, is planning to come to Athens in a few days in an effort to help Greece champion their return.

Let us all hope for the best!