Greece Wins Seat on International Cultural Protection Body

Greece has been elected to the Intergovernmental Committee of the Second Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, the Ministry of Culture announced on Wednesday.

Culture Minister Lina Mendoni issued a statement highlighting the significance of the result and the strong international support for Greece’s candidacy.

“Today, Greece was triumphantly elected as a member of the Intergovernmental Committee of the Second Protocol of the 1954 Hague Convention for the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflicts,” Minister Mendoni said. “The Committee’s mission is to raise awareness among states and their peoples about the prevention and suppression of issues concerning the protection of cultural property in war-affected areas. At a time when armed conflicts in our broader region continue to destroy archaeological sites and monuments of global cultural heritage, our country’s election is of paramount importance.”

Greece received 79 votes out of 85 participating states — a result Mendoni described as a strong endorsement of the country’s recent international initiatives in the field of culture and its growing presence within UNESCO.

“This vote is a recognition of Greece’s international initiatives in recent years in the cultural sector and of our strong overall presence in UNESCO,” she added.

The Minister extended her gratitude to officials at the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Culture for their “methodical and systematic work” within the Organisation. She also thanked Greece’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Giorgos Koumoutsakos, and the staff of the Permanent Delegation for their “substantive cooperation and contribution.”