- Greece scored a seat on the UNESCO Convention Committee during the 8th State Parties meeting in Paris.
- Officials in charge: George Koumoutsakos (UNESCO), Vasso Papageorgiou (Ministry of Culture), and Marianna Paschou (Foreign Ministry).
- Culture Minister Lina Mendoni credited “systematic government work” in battling the illegal art trade and protecting heritage.
- Called out global trafficking of ancient treasures as organized crime, with a side of terrorism.
- Greece pledged €10,000 to UNESCO’s Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects.
- The Red List of endangered Greek artefacts was updated with ICOM collaboration.
- Koumoutsakos labelled the Convention a “moral and cultural duty, “not just law.
- Election highlights Greece’s push for returning stolen heritage to rightful places.
Greece landed a seat on the UNESCO Convention Committee—the one that’s supposed to stop illegal imports, exports, and ownership swaps of cultural goods. And they didn’t exactly do it quietly, either. The big moment came at UNESCO headquarters in Paris during the 8th Meeting of State Parties.
Greece was represented by a power trio: George Koumoutsakos, the country’s forever poker-faced Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Vasso Papageorgiou from the Ministry of Culture’s Documentation and Protection Department, and Marianna Paschou from the Foreign Ministry’s Special Legal Service. This squad ensured no one forgot who brought democracy (and maybe a few statues) to the world.
It wasn’t just a photo op. Culture Minister Lina Mendoni called the election “the result of the recognition of our government’s systematic and methodical effort.” She hammered home Greece’s “priority” in defending cultural heritage. She slammed the illegal trade of artefacts as not just theft but “a complex, well-connected international crime enterprise also linked to terrorism.” If you had “international crime syndicate” on your meeting bingo card, congratulations.
As if that wasn’t enough, Greece even made a 10,000 euro “voluntary contribution” to support the UNESCO Digital Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects.
George Koumoutsakos grabbed the mic and, between translations, declared Greece’s election as proof of “steadfast commitment to cultural heritage” and a group sign-off on why the 1970 Convention still matters. “The Convention isn’t just a legal tool,” he said. “It’s a moral and cultural duty to protect the memory and identity of nations.”
Greek officials also boasted that, with the help of ICOM, they just launched the Red List of endangered Greek cultural goods.