United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Greece is among the twenty founding Member States that cosigned the Constitution of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1946, which was adopted during the London Conference in November 1945 and entered into force on 4 November 1946. Greece has consistently maintained an active and multidimensional presence in the Organization’s core areas of activity, placing particular emphasis on the protection of cultural and natural heritage, education, science, freedom of expression and intercultural dialogue. Greece’s participation in UNESCO is inextricably linked with the promotion of the universal values of Greek civilization and with the shaping of policies that foster peace, sustainable development and international cooperation.
Greece attaches particular importance to the work of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in Case of Illicit Appropriation (ICPRCP), in which the country is represented through a Special Task Force established by the Ministry of Culture. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs participates in the Task Force together with its Special Legal Service. It is within this Committee that the longstanding negotiations with the British side regarding the return of the Parthenon Sculptures are conducted; an issue that has occupied UNESCO since 1984, when the then Minister of Culture, Melina Mercouri, formally submitted the Greek request before the aforementioned Intergovernmental Committee.
Greece plays a leading role in promoting policies, initiatives and actions aimed at safeguarding and highlighting cultural heritage at the international level.
1. The Melina Mercouri Prize (Greece Melina Mercouri International Prize for the Safeguarding and Management of Cultural Landscapes):
The Melina Mercouri Prize, UNESCO’s only exclusively cultural prize, was established in 1995 and re-established in 2019 with the full financial support of the Greek Government. The winner receives a substantial cash prize. The initiative is of particular importance, as Greece is funding a major international cultural prize, thereby enhancing its status in major international organizations. Furthermore, it highlights the multifaceted work of the Ministry of Culture, which is inspired by the legacy of Melina Mercouri and her vision for culture.
The Prize is awarded every two years and highlights outstanding examples of effective cultural landscape management at the international level, while also honoring individuals and organizations that offer innovative ideas and inspiration, contributing to the global effort to preserve cultural heritage.
2. Greece’s Participation in UNESCO Committee
Greece actively participates in all of UNESCO’s key Intergovernmental Committees related to the protection of cultural heritage, thereby strengthening its international presence, institutional role, and influence within the Organization.
3. The 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property
In May 2025, Greece was elected to the Intergovernmental Committee for the 2025-2029 term, further strengthening the international effort to combat the illicit trafficking of cultural property and facilitate its return to countries of origin. Greece’s election further strengthens the country’s institutional role in the international effort to prevent and combat the illicit trafficking of cultural property. Among our many national and international initiatives to combat this scourge, we recently published the Greek Red List of Cultural Objects at Risk - the first list of its kind to be published by an EU member state - marking an important step toward stronger international protection mechanisms.
4. The 1954 Hague Convention and the 1999 Second Protocol on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict:
On December 2, Greece was elected with 79 votes out of a total of 85 to the Intergovernmental Committee of the Second Protocol, which is the only UNESCO body with a strong geopolitical dimension, as it addresses issues of cultural heritage protection in war-torn regions, such as Gaza and Ukraine.
5. Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in Case of Illicit Appropriation (ICPRCP):
Greece was elected in 2023 for the 2023-2027 term. This Committee serves as an important forum for dialogue on issues related to the return and restitution of cultural property, within which Greece’s longstanding request for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures is also discussed. Our country’s participation institutionally and politically strengthens the promotion of this longstanding request.
6. World Heritage Committee (2021–2025)
In 2025, Greece’s term came to an end, marked by an active and successful presence and substantive contributions. A significant milestone was the unanimous inscription of the Minoan Palace Complexes on the World Heritage List, during the 47th Session of the Committee in Paris, confirming the exceptional universal value of the Minoan cultural heritage.
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