Permanent Mission of Greece to Unesco

Today we celebrated at !

🇬🇷 participated in the Food Court by showcasing some of its rich culinary heritage. By travelling through all 27 EU MS’ cuisines, we showcased that in diversity👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 we are united🤝!

📍Each dish represented more than food — it reflected the diversity that makes European Union stronger together. Through every taste and every conversation, we celebrated the true spirit and shared values of the European Union: Democracy, Human Rights, Dignity, Unity, solidarity among nations.

🙏Grateful to HE the EU Ambassador to UNESCO and OECD Mrs Christina Kokkinakis for organizing an excellent event on this occasion.

Honored to present, in my capacity as PD of Greece to , honorary awards to Mrs Dominique Pradalié, President of the International Federation of Journalists and to Mr Anthony Bellanger, General Secretary of IFJ, οn the occasion of the IFJ Centenary World Congress taking place in Paris.

actively contributes to multilateral efforts aiming at strengthening free expression and the safety of journalists.

is fully committed to reforms that will strengthen the media and safeguard press freedom as an indispensable prerequisite for a healthy democracy.

Free information leads to
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On May 3, , Greece🇬🇷 reaffirms its unwavering commitment to freedom of expression and the safety of journalists, recognizing them as essential foundations of democracy, peace, and resilient societies.

Greece places particular emphasis on advancing ’s mandate of utmost importance, the safety of journalists and the fight against impunity for crimes committed against media professionals.

By actively supporting ’s global mandate, Greece contributes to strengthening international cooperation, promoting safer working conditions for journalists worldwide, and reinforcing accountability mechanisms to protect those who serve the public’s right to information.

At the national level, Greece is implementing its National Action Plan for the Safety of Journalists. A central role in the Plan is played by the International Training Center for the Safety of Journalists and Media Professionals (ICSJ) at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, serving as an official partner of the OSCE for the 2025–2026 period, a hub for education, research, and multilateral collaboration.

As a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, remains firmly committed to protecting journalists, especially in conflict settings, and to upholding ’s vision that journalist safety is indispensable to safeguarding democracy and peace.

🇬🇷Greece is delighted for the official designation of Nisyros as ‘UNESCO Global Geopark’.

👏At the official award ceremony of the “UNESCO Global Geopark” certificate at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, in the presence of Greece’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO, George Koumoutsakos, and the Mayor of Nisyros, Christofis Koroneos who received the official certificate for Nisyros Geopark.

✅️With Nisyros, Greece adds its tenth Geopark to this prestigious Network, which highlights areas of exceptional natural beauty and unique geological features.

✅️Greece’s previously recognized UNESCO Global Geoparks are: Lesvos Island, Psiloritis, Vikos–Aoos National Park, Helmos–Vouraikos National Park, Sitia, Grevena–Kozani, Lavreotiki, Meteora–Pyli, and Kefalonia–Ithaca.

📍Also happy for the revalidation of Kefalonia-Ithaca Geopark recognizing the continuous work in protecting heritage and supporting sustainable development in the local community.

👏The protection and promotion of our planet’ s unique geological heritage is further strengthened!

On the occasion of , we are reminded of the Climate Crisis’ impact on .

📍The Greek National Strategy for the Protection of Cultural Heritage from Climate Change, aligned with the guidelines of the United Nations and the European Union regarding climate risk assessment is a coherent framework for adaptation highlighting the interconnection between culture, landscape, environment, and climate. Its aim is to promote the link between cultural heritage management and climate resilience.

Greek Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, attended a ceremony held at the Consulate General of Greece in Chicago, USA, during which five antiquities were officially returned to the Greek state.

According to a statement from the Greek Ministry of Culture, these include two black-figure vases—an amphora and an olpe—from Attic workshops of the 6th century BC, a bronze mirror from the late Archaic to Classical period, a headless marble statue of the god Hermes (1st century BC – 1st century AD), as well as a fragment of a relief depicting the goddess Athena from the 2nd century AD.

The artifacts were voluntarily repatriated by the heirs of the Gray family, who contacted the Greek authorities, in an act of responsibility, respect and a strong sense of justice. The process was completed under the supervision of the Directorate for the Documentation and Protection of Cultural Property of the Greek Ministry of Culture.
During the ceremony, Ms. Mendoni described this repatriation as “another story of “Nostos” (nostalgia), emphasizing the emotional and cultural importance of returning antiquities to their country of origin. As she stressed, “with deep emotion, we welcome these antiquities back to their homeland. We continue, with consistency and dedication, our efforts to protect our cultural heritage”.

🔗In recent years, more than 200 objects have been repatriated from 17 countries across all continents, reflecting the trust that has been built between the Greek State and citizens abroad.

Ministry Of Culture👉
https://www.culture.gov.gr/el/Information/SitePages/view.aspx

Consulate General of Greece in Chicago

At our intervention at UNESCO’ s 224th Executive Board and the discussion on reform process, we stressed that Greece 🇬🇷 fully supports the ROADMAP and aligns itself with the reform- driven vision, put forward by -General Dr. Khaled El-Enany.

📍The ROADMAP is a commitment to ensuring efficiency, transparency, accountability and resilience. A commitment for a credible, responsible and impactful.

🇬🇷 attaches particular interest and importance to:

a) safeguarding Cultural Heritage in times of crisis, conflict, and other emergency situations,

b) promoting restitution and return of Cultural Property to its country of origin, and

c) climate resilience for Cultural Heritage.

📍In the context of identifying and developing innovative fund-raising models, Greece warmly welcomes and supports ’s Goodwill Ambassadors program. Greece views its revitalisation as a necessary step to amplify UNESCO’ s global visibility and impact as a concrete tool of Public Diplomacy that can greatly contribute to the overall efforts of the UNESCO80.

On , International Day for Monuments and Sites

Greece reaffirms its steadfast commitment to the implementation of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention and to the collective responsibility of safeguarding cultural heritage of Outstanding Universal Value.

All Greek monuments inscribed on World Heritage List - including the Acropolis of Athens, Delphi, Olympia, Meteora, Mount Athos, Mystras, the Medieval City of Rhodes, Vergina, Epidaurus, Corfu, and the Minoan Palatial Centres of Crete as the most recent inscription - constitute living testimonies of universal significance and the continuity of human civilization across time.

Greece remains firmly committed to strengthening international cooperation for the protection, conservation, and transmission of this shared heritage to future generations.

Protecting cultural heritage means preserving what unites us all.

organized on 26 March a special event aiming to present a commemorative series of stamps of the Hellenic Post celebrating the 80 years since the foundation of .

Honoured by the presence and addresses of the President of the Hellenic Post, Mr D. Benardout, the President of the General Conference, HE Mr Khondker M. Talha, the Chairperson of the Executive Board of UNESCO, HE Dr Nasser Bin Hamad Al Hinzab, ADG for Communication and Information Mrs Mariya Gabriel and Ambassador to and , HE Mrs Christina Kokkinakis.

All the participants congratulated us and stressed that ’ s mandate is now more essential than ever in these turbulent times.

📍Stamps can be ambassadors and vectors of cooperation and unity.

📍In a ‘full house’ Salle I at Maison de l’ Unesco, with over 1.400 colleagues and friends, ,February 9, was celebrated for the first time after its official proclamation by . We celebrated together UNESCO’ s historic decision to recognize the valuable contribution of the to human civilization throughout the ages reaffirming UNESCO’ s steadfast commitment to multilingualism.

🙏Honoured by the welcoming speeches addressed by the Director-General of UNESCO Mr El-Enany, the President of the Hellenic Republic Mr K. Tassoulas, the President of BnF Mr Pécout who delivered the keynote address, the Greek Minister of Culture Mrs Mendoni and the Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO Mrs Sbokou-Konstantakopoulou.

🙏Also honoured by the presence of dozens of Permanent Delegates at UNESCO, the President of UNESCO’ s General Conference H.E. PD of Bangladesh to UNESCO, Mr Khondker M. Talha, the Chairperson of UNESCO’ s Executive Board, HE PD of Qatar to UNESCO, Dr Nasser Bin Hamad Al Hinzab, the Assistant Director-General for Culture, Μr Ernesto Ottone, Deputy Minister of Culture of Cyprus, Mrs Vas. Kassianidou, Greek MEP Mrs El. Meleti, Deputy Minister of Maritime Affairs & Insular Policy, Mr. Stephanos Gkikas, Greek MP and President of the Parliamentary Committee for the Greek Diaspora Mr Stelios Petsas. Especially honoured by the presence of the world-renowned Greek Director Costas Gavras.

In the cultural part of the event,

✅️abstracts of emblematic texts of Greek literature from antiquity to the present day were recited by renowned Greek actors.

✅️The globally renowned Greek tenor Mario Frangoulis and the Greek-French singer Dafné Kritharas performed musical settings of texts of Greek poets with the Orchestras of Corfu Music School and Conservatory. Their performance was met with great enthusiasm by the audience.