Australians Doubt Parthenon Marbles Return

Australians for the Return of the Parthenon Sculptures, the Australian Association with the aim to promote, facilitate and support, nationally and internationally the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece, published a media release entitled The Parthenon Sculptures at UNESCO:  New Campaign or False Dawn?

The group said it doesn’t believe that UNESCO will be able to help convince British Museum officials to return the stolen goods to Greece, where a new Acropolis Museum was built to house them.

“Nothing constructive has occurred in the past is due in large part to the ongoing intransigence on the British side.  Although the Greeks are hoping that the latest UNESCO move will herald the start of a new campaign, already there are fears that it will be another false dawn”.

Tο strengthen its point, the Association tracks down the lack of a role that UNESCO has played for the repatriation of the Parthenon Sculptures in the past: “The issue of the Parthenon Sculptures has been at the forefront of discussions at the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for more than 20 years but every time the Committee meets the formal British position is essentially the same:  the British Museum is an independent body created by its own Act of Parliament and is not subject to government control.  In turn, the museum’s Director, Neil MacGregor, has repeatedly stated that the British Museum will never return the sculptures and some years ago went so far as to describe the whole issue as “yesterday’s question”.

Read the full statement below:

The Parthenon Sculptures at UNESCO: a new campaign or a false dawn?

The Greek Government has officially enlisted the aid of UNESCO in its ongoing efforts to regain the Parthenon Sculptures which are currently in the British Museum.

At the meeting of the International Association for the Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures held in Athens on 6 October, representatives from various international committees in Australia, Cyprus, Germany, Sweden, Britain and Switzerland, were advised of the progress of the government’s latest initiative as well as the state of the delicate restoration works that have been ongoing at the Acropolis for over 30 years. Also in attendance were members of the Greek Consultative Committee for the Parthenon Marbles, its President, Christopher Argyropoulos, President of the Board of the Acropolis Museum, Professor Dimitris Pandermalis and Mr Spyros Merkouris of the Melina Mercouri Foundation.

The Minister of Culture and Sport, Panos Panagiotopoulos, reminded everyone that Greece’s efforts for the repatriation of the Parthenon Marbles “do not start from a need to enhance our national egoism. It is an effort with global implications, aimed at the restoration of the unity of a leading cultural monument, which is a common reference for all mankind”. The Minister described the campaign as an “ecumenical effort with a deep humanitarian character.”

The Minister of Culture and Sports expressed his thanks to all those present, some of whom had come from countries such as Australia, noting that the request for the restitution of the Parthenon Marbles is a request that transcends national borders and has a truly global dimension. Mr Panagiotopoulos specifically referred to his recent meeting with the Director General of UNESCO, Ms Irina Bokova, who agreed to use her personal and institutional influence to try to get the parties to resume talks. As a result, a letter written on behalf of UNESCO has been sent to the British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, the Culture Secretary, Maria Miller, as well as to the Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, officially informing the British authorities about the request from the Greek side to initiate mediation under the auspices of UNESCO in an attempt to reach a settlement of this long standing dispute.

The minister stressed that if the British side agreed to conduct this process it would be the first time that UNESCO will be using mediation for resolving cultural differences between two countries. And he pointed out that this development becomes even more important in view of the upcoming meeting in November of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in case of Illicit Appropriation.

In reply, the President of the International Association, Mr David Hill, praised the important role that UNESCO, as a leading international cultural organisation, has taken in the case of the Parthenon Marbles. Speaking on behalf of the international association, Hill reassured the Minister that the various international committees would support every strategic decision taken by the Greek government in this cause to which they are all committed.

The same assurances came from the chairmen and members of the committees, some, indeed, with touching words in equally poignant Greek.

Mr Argyropoulos of the Greek Consultative Committee echoed these thoughts and pointed out: “The presence of the international committees in Greece reflects the international sympathy and solidarity for Greek request for the complete unity of the Parthenon monument with the repatriation of its sculptures.” He added that the sculptures need to be reunited because the Parthenon epitomises the dominance of Reason, of the democratic principle and the worship of beauty – all values developed by and inherited from Classical Athens, the birthplace of democracy.

But the question remains: will the British come to the mediation table?

The UNESCO mediation model which was adopted in October 2010 stresses the voluntary and optional aspects of mediation and its non-binding outcome. More importantly, any mediation is to be conducted in accordance with the general principles of fairness, impartiality and good faith. Moreover, only UNESCO member states and associate members may have recourse to mediation pursuant to these rules of procedure. The British Museum therefore cannot be a party although the British Government would be able to represent the museum’s interests given that the marbles are located there.

The issue of the Parthenon Sculptures has been at the forefront of discussions at the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for more than 20 years but every time the Committee meets the formal British position is essentially the same: the British Museum is an independent body created by its own Act of Parliament and is not subject to government control. In turn, the museum’s director, Neil MacGregor, has repeatedly stated that the British Museum will never return the sculptures and some years ago went so far as to describe the whole issue as “yesterday’s question”.

As far back as 2000 the former head of the UNESCO committee remarked, almost despairingly, that his committee had tried to broker some agreement between the two countries but without success because of the further hardening of positions. As recently as July 2012 the UNESCO Committee issued an all too familiar recommendation that the two countries engage in discussions in respect of the reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures and specifically invited the Director General to convene the “necessary meetings between Greece and the United Kingdom with the aim of reaching a mutually acceptable solution to the issue of the Parthenon Sculptures”.

That nothing constructive has occurred in the past is due in large part to the ongoing intransigence on the British side. Although the Greeks are hoping that the latest UNESCO move will herald the start of a new campaign, already there are fears that it will be another false dawn.

Meanwhile, the sculptures at the centre of this dispute continue to languish in the staid and soulless Duveen Gallery in London, far removed from their natural surroundings on the Acropolis near the magnificent temple they once adorned.

George Vardas

Australians for the Return of the Parthenon Sculptures

8 October 2013