UNESCO - Intergovernmental Commitee- Τhirteenth Session, Paris 7th-10th of Feburary, 2005
UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANISATION
INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE FOR PROMOTING THE RETURN OF CULTURAL PROPERTY TO ITS COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN OR ITS RESTITUTION IN CASE OF ILLICIT APROPRIATION
Thirteenth Session
7 - 10 February 2003, Paris
Recommendation
The Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in case of Illicit Appopriation,
Expressing its concern for the resolution of the issue of the Parthenon Marbles,
Acknowledging past UNESCO Recommendations regarding the return of the Parthenon Marbles in London to their country of origin
- Takes note of the meeting between the Greek and UK Ministries of Culture attended by UNESCO representative in 2003 and a meeting in 2005;
- Takes note of the continuing co-operation between the British Museum and Greek museums which will serve as a model for a collaboration on the display and presentation of the Parthenon Marbles;
- Takes note of the construction of the new Acropolis museum;
And invites the Director-General (a) to encourage further exchange of expert information in the areas of understanding, research and museology, and (b) to assist in facilitating further meetings between the UK and Greece before the next session of the Committee, with a view to resolving the issue of the Parthenon Marbles, taking into account at the same time the sensitivities of both sides.
Greek delegation and UK delegation
9 February 2005
UNESCO - Inscription of the Athenian Acropolis in the world heritage list of UNESCO in 1987
THE ATHENIAN ACROPOLIS WAS INSCRIBED IN THE WORLD HERITAGE LIST OF UNESCO IN 1987
Extracts from the criteria according to which the inscription of the site was adopted by the World Heritage Committee:
CRITERION I: The Acropolis of Athens is the ultimate expression of the adaptation of architecture to a natural landscape. This extraordinary composition, in which the volumes are in perfect harmony, creating a monumental landscape of unique beauty, comprises an ensemble of masterpieces of the 5th c. BC: the Parthenon, the Propylaea, the temple of Athena Nike and the Erechtheion.
CRITERION II: The monuments of the Acropolis of Athens have exercised an enormous influence, as far as Classical architecture is concerned, not only during Greek and Roman antiquity when they were considered to be exemplary models in the Mediterranean world but also in modern times
CRITERION III: The Athenian Acropolis has a special meaning in Greek religion: it was the sacred place where the fundamental myths of the city were born.
CRITERION IV: The Acropolis of Athens has represented the civilisation of Greece for more than a millennium.
CRITERION VI: The Athenian Acropolis is directly associated with events and ideas that were never forgotten in history. These monuments are living proof of the words of Plato and Aristotle, of the Philippics of Demosthenes, and of St. Paul. They keep alive the memory of a priceless part of the cultural heritage of humanity.
UNESCO - The Unity of a Unique Monument Parthenon
The Parthenon, chief temple of the Greek goddess Athena on the hill of the Acropolis in Athens, embodies an extraordinary number of architectural refinements. A marvel of composition and clarity, the international sympol of Classical Greece, it has inspired the practice and appreciation of art over many centuries.
Since 1984, when the Greek authorities brought the case of the Parthenon Marbles before UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or Restitution in case of Illict Appropriation, the Organisation has used its good offices to facilitate bilateral negotiations between the United Kingdom and Greece in this matter, UNESCO has also sought to foster collaboration in the exchange of expert information on the subject. UNESCO is ever ready to facilitate the discovery of creative solutions to this controversial issue through the concerted efforts of idividuals, institutions and governmental authorities.
Koichiro Matsuura
Director General of UNESCO
Mr Koichiro Matsuura, Director General of UNESCO, offered this text to the catalogue titled "The Unity of a Unique Monument Parthenon" of the exhibition organized by the Greek Ministry of Culture and the "Melina Mercouri Foundation" in cooperation with UNESCO (March 31st - April 18th 2003).
UNESCO - Visit of the General Director of Unesco Mr. Koichiro Matsuura to the Acropolis
The Director General of Unesco, Mr Koichiro Matsuura, in a letter from October 14th 2004 expressed his congratulations for the changes that were materialized on the site of the Acropolis. He noted the progress achieved concerning the restoration works, comparing the current situation to that of his last visit in September 2001, and stressed the increased accessibility and public interest, which occurred after the constraction of an elevator at Acropolis aiding disabled people.
UNESCO- Intergovermental Commetee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Propertiy to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in case of Illicit Apropriation
UNESCO'S World Heritage
