On December 6, the 79th UN General Assembly adopted at its Plenary Meeting, by consensus, the Resolution on the "Return or Restitution of Cultural Property to the Countries of Origin", presented by Greece, with the highest number of 146 co-sponsorships. This Resolution is a purely Greek initiative and is submitted by our country every three years. It is also noted that, for the first time, all 27 EU member states co-sponsored the Resolution, highlighting EU unity on such a sensitive political issue.
The cross-regional support of the Resolution, with a wide and diverse group of co-sponsoring member states, illustrates the change in attitude on the issue of the return or restitution of cultural property and the high visibility it has gained in recent years. The result is particularly important, given that the text of the Resolution is significantly strengthened and keeping in mind that Resolutions of the UN General Assembly tabled by only one country are rarely adopted by such a large number of co-sponsors. This is another major diplomatic success for Greece, especially as its tenure as a non-permanent in the Security Council will commence in January 2025.
This latest success of our country is part of its relentless efforts, at the international level, to protect cultural property in particular, but also cultural heritage in general, against illicit trafficking in both times of peace and war. In addition, it highlights the need to return or restitute stolen and illegally possessed cultural property to its historic environment.
December 6, 2024