Letter sent to The Times 

AN Wilson's Comment in today's edition (December 7th) is lumbered with a dreadful headline - 'We've lost our marbles over ancient Greece' - and contains several factual errors, but at least the esteemed author's heart is in the right place: the legacy represented by the Athenians of one of their glory ages is indeed worth not forgetting. What would not be apparent from this piece, however, nor from letters published that are hostile to the very notion, is that the paper's own official declared editorial policy is in favour of the repatriation and reunification of the Parthenon Marbles/Sculptures currently housed in the B.M. back in their native place, Athens. Nor that the Parthenon Marbles/Sculptures are but part of the Museum's wider 'Elgin collection'. They are Elgin Marbles, but not 'the' Elgin Marbles. It is only the sculptures from the Parthenon - out of the Museum's estimated 8 million artefacts - for which the Greek Government requests their return to Athens.

Paul Cartledge (Professor) 

Vice-Chair, British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles

To read AN Wilson's comment article in The Times, follow the link here.

The vast majority of UN member states backed on Friday a resolution introduced by Greece to return cultural artefacts to their country of origin.

The draft resolution was introduced at the 79th Plenary Session of the UN General Assembly and was adopted by consensus and with the co-sponsorship of 146 UN Member States.

This represents the highest number achieved to date and was the first occasion on which all 27 EU Member States, co-sponsored the resolution.

Read the resolution A/RES/79/133 in full by downloading the pdf.

BCRPM wishes to extend heartfelt congratulations to the MFA of Greece for its efforts on this front and to Dr.  Artemis Papathanassiou, head of the International Law Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece for having being the Chair of the negotiations and who led to the adoption of the Resolution.

“It is of the utmost importance for us all to recognise that the protection of human life will always remain our primary concern, but that respect for a people’s cultural identity is also vital. While human life is of greater importance than objects, it is nevertheless necessary to respect the rules for the protection of cultural property, as it is the collective memory of humanity and symbolises human life itself,”  explained Ambassador Evangelos C. Sekeris, the Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

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 this 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 latest success of Greece country is part of this nation's relentless efforts at 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.

Read the entire statement made by Greece's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, here.

The Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis met this morning with UK's Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer.

Since Sunday the media frenzy and speculation carried on until today but the meeting between the two leaders was not to arranged to make a statement regarding the on-going talks between Greece and the British Museum for the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles.

A YouGov poll also continues to show those that are undecided with those that do not wish for the sculptures to be returned making up under half of the sample questioned, with 53% supporting to reunite the sculptures. 

The Times today reported:

It is understood that talks over the marbles — which are being led by George Osborne, the museum’s chairman — are focusing on a potential loan deal as part of a wider cultural partnership between the two countries.

Helpfully for the museum, the galleries that contain the marbles are due to close for an extensive refurbishment in the coming years. This may provide the opportunity to return to marbles for Athens, at least temporarily. However, any deal would require the Greek government to accept British ownership of the marbles — something which has been a sticking point in the talks up to now. 

Mitsotakis has made the repatriation of the artworks a priority of his centre-right government. The British Museum would need the backing of the government for any agreement as ministers could impose an export ban, preventing the marbles from being sent back to Greece.

More articles in the The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Independent, First Post, Daily Mail & many more!

On the 15th of June this year BCRPM held a celebration of the Acropolis Museum's 15th anniversary in Room 18 and Chair Janet Suzman, with members Victoria Hislop and George Gabriel delivered a letter to the new director Nicholas Cullinan.

The reply from Nicholas Cullinan arrived just a few days later and did give all at BCRPM a boost of optimism.

Last Friday the Financial Times article by contributing editor Jan Dalley had an encouraging headline - British Museum chief Nicholas Cullinan:‘I start with the idea that everything is possible’. [Music to all of BCRPM's ears]

“If anyone tells me something isn’t possible, I’ll go all the more into making it happen.” Nicholas Cullinan tells Jan Dalley. The huge challenge ahead is that Nicholas Cullinan is overseeing the most ambitious museum reconstruction ever attempted — “a complete holistic transformation, top to bottom, inside out, buildings, collection, visual identity, ” rumoured to cost £1bn.

The startling statistics about Britain’s biggest cultural institution are no exaggeration, though: with around 3,500 rooms and some 8mn objects in its collection, it is, according to former trustee Antony Gormley, “[one of] the last unmodernised great museums in Europe”. Add to that its recent reputational bashing: last year’s scandal over thefts from the collection, perpetual arguments about sources of philanthropy and funding, and the seemingly insoluble conundrum about repatriation, in particular of the Parthenon Marbles.

The the case for the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles is the British Museum's most public and controversial debate is something that all those involved with BCRPM have felt for decades but again the mantra has been 'anything is possible'. Despite certain setbacks, the accomplished efforts by Greece at UNESCO's ICPRCP  over the decades has ensured that hope would not wane.

It was good to hear Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport at the the recent Labour Party conference state that repatriation is on this government's agenda. At last!

Nicholas Cullinan is typically diplomatic, and typically optimistic, writes Jan Dalley, but for us as campaigners that's better than dismissive and superior.. We're still recovering from Hartwig Fisher referring to the division of the sculptures a a 'creative act'!

“I think everyone would like to see a really exciting, innovative solution. No, solution is the wrong word — response. Something outside the usual framework . . . I’m starting with the idea that everything is possible, and we’ll deal with reality as it evolves. Let’s not start with the idea that certain things can’t be done.” Continues Nicholas Cullinan in his conversation with Jan Dalley. “Plans are taking shape." 

No doubt the discussions between Greece and the British Museum are ongoing but we continue to also hope that the UK government will take the lead in this matter by amending the Museum Act. Many have tried before and more will continue to do so.

As UK's PM Sir Kier Starmer continues to travel abroad, looking to establish the UK as a nation of possibilities, nurturing collaborations aimed at securing the UK a brighter future, then let the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles be that fine feather in his cap too. 

This morning, I had the privilege of speaking on Greek TV and radio about the latest progress in the discussions on the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles.

As a member of the British Committee for the Reunification of Parthenon Marbles, I highlighted the pivotal role of UNESCO’s ICPRCP, whose work over the past decade has garnered global support and influenced key decisions. It is on this international platform that both the British Museum and the UK government faced strong criticism for the time it has taken to begin bilateral discussions with Greece.

This year at UNESCO ICPRCP's 24th session in Paris, it was Zeynep Boz, the delegate from Türkiye, head of the Turkish Culture Ministry’s department for combating trafficking in antiquities that declared there was no firman, no permission granted to Lord Elgin to allow the removal of the sculptures from the Parthenon.   

The return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece feels closer than ever! According to a recent article in The Economist, 2025 could mark significant progress in the ongoing talks between Greece and the UK.

On 15 June, BCRPM's Chair Janet Suzman with members Victoria Hislop and George Gabriel plus supporters gathered in the BM's Room 18 to mark the Acropolis Museum's 15th anniversary. They also delivered a letter to Director of the British Museum, Nicholas Cullinan and shortly afterwards Nicholas Cullinan responded to Janet Suzman, BCRPM's Chair saying that “creating a new relationship with Greece regarding the Marbles will be a clear priority.”

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, last November also said that if a mutually acceptable agreement is reached between the UK and Greece, the British government “will not stand in the way.”

Avgoustinos Galiassos on Greek TV and radio 

BCRPM marking the 13th, 14th and 15th anniversary of the Acropolis Museum in the British Museum

Ghosts of the British Museum is a newly published narrative non-fiction book based on testimony gathered from scores of current and former museum workers, from senior curators to overnight security staff, who tell of unquiet artefacts, holy plunder and restless human remains inside world’s oldest national museum. Through these ghost narratives, Noah Angell guides the reader through The British Museum’s galleries, corridors and vast, labyrinthian storage chambers, disclosing the spectral and material traces of colonial acquisition, and the profound psychic unrest at the core of one of Britain’s most popular tourist attractions.

Chapter six, “Songs of a Murky Prison” focuses on the Greek and Turkish galleries, particularly on the internal lore surrounding the Nereid Monument, the “Lost” Caryatid, and the Parthenon Sculptures. As Angell writes, “Today the display of the Parthenon sculptures at the British Museum is marred by the eyesore of their prolonged exile.” Ghosts of the British Museum reframes the well trod repatriation debate – perhaps it’s not merely the Greek people moaning about the reunification of their heritage – rather it is the sculptures themselves, crying out for home, to assume their place in the land where they rightfully belong.

You can hear Noah talk about his book on Thursday 21 November, 18:30-20:00 in London's Shepherd's Bush Market, W12 8DF. To find out more and attend follow the link here.