ICOMOS, the International Council on Monuments & Sites has recently being holding their 18th General assembly in Florence, Italy.

During this meeting, a resolution (Resolution 18GA 2014/40) was passed to:

To support the mediation process proposed by Greece for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles on the basis of UNESCO’s 2010 mediation and to encourage both parties (Greece and United Kingdom) to open a fruitful dialogue aiming at a mutually acceptable solution.

ICOMOS 18th General Assembly

From:
Greek Ministry of Culture

DRAFT RESOLUTIONS – ICOMOS 2014

Proposers
ICOMOS GREECE.
Dr. ATHANASIOS NAKASIS
PRESIDENT ICOMOS GREECE

ICOMOS GREECE.
Dr. ELENA KORKA
ICOMOS GREECE – International Issues
General Director of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage
Hellenic Ministry of Culture

BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND JUSTIFICATION:

In the 19th century Lord Elgin removed integral architectural sculptures from the frieze, the metopes and the pediments from the Parthenon. The Parthenon Marbles that are on display at the British Museum make up approximately 60% of the total remaining sculptural material of the monument. The need for their reunification with the other 40%, now exhibited in the Acropolis Museum in Athens, is a cultural desideratum. It will be to the benefit of every visitor (scholar or not), who seeks to view the Parthenon and its historical environment. The issue of the Parthenon Marbles is continuously on the agenda of the Committee for the Promotion of the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin (ICPRCP) since 1984. Twenty two (22) Committees all over the world were founded in support of the reunification, while polls carried out through the years, show the high public interest on the issue.
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ICOMOS and ICAHM are organising a conference in Athens, looking at way that archaeological heritage can be protected during the current economic crisis. The discussion is not restricted to Greece however, and I imagine will be of interest to many other countries, whose museums and culture departments face massive spending cuts as governments try to balance their budgets.

From:
ICOMOS

ICOMOS Hellenic and ICAHM REGIONAL CONFERENCE: From past experience to new approaches and synergies: the Future of Protection Heritage Management for Archaeological Heritage in Times of Economic Crisis
23.05.2012 – 25.05.2012
Athens, Greece

A regional conference on the future and new challenges facing the Protection and Management of Archaeological Heritage.

The scope of this conference is to present and use past experience with a view to contribute as a think tank to new ways of managing the protection and preservation of our archaeological heritage in times of economic crisis. The challenges are now greater than ever, as the cultural society needs to regroup its forces, reinforce its role, create new synergies and undertake fresh initiatives in order to maintain standards and offer sustainable solutions. The conference will function as a platform for discussion and exchange of ideas by all professionals involved in protection management in these difficult times.

As there are many sectors of occupation which play an important role in protection management and which face serious challenges and threats in the present days but also in view of the future, we have identified 15 topics for distinctive panel discussions during the conference sessions.
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A reminder, that today, there will be free admission to most state owned museums & archaeological sites in Greece, because it is International Monuments Day. This is celebrated on April 18th every year.

There are also a number of other days on which admission is free – have a look at the list here.