Greece Voted on UNESCO Committee for Protection of Cultural Property

*Archaeological site of Delphi. Author: Tim Schnarr, Copyright: © Limes.Media/Tim Schnarr

Greece has been recognized for its efforts in safeguarding cultural heritage and was elected recently as a member of UNESCO’s Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, for the 2020-2023 period.

The committee is composed of 12 members working for the implementation of the second Protocol to the Hague Convention of 1954 for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. The Meetings take place once a year and activities also include capacity-building and awareness-raising initiatives.

Greece has actively been promoting the protection of cultural heritage with a series of initiatives, including hosting last year and in 2020 the “Impacts of Climate Change on Cultural Heritage: Facing the Challenge” conference.

*The ancient theater of Philippi. Photo: GTP

“This new success is practical recognition of Greece’s prominent role in culture and is indicative of the trust put in it by UNESCO in the critical and very demanding sector of protection of cultural assets,” said the Greek foreign ministry in an announcement last week.

In the meantime, the culture ministry announced the release next year in Greek of UNESCO’s 2016 military manual on the protection of cultural property and its distribution to stakeholders, including military staff, archaeologists, peacekeepers, and diplomats.

At the same time, by 2020, the foreign affairs ministry will table in parliament the ratification of Chapter 4 of the Second Protocol to the Hague Convention covering the criminal offense of intentional destruction of cultural property.

Besides Greece (62 votes), countries elected to the committee are Austria (63 votes); Estonia (59 votes), Morocco (53 votes), the Czech Republic (46 votes), and Nigeria (45 votes).

*The archaeological site of Delphi and the ancient theater of Philippi are inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.