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- Ελληνικά
The Deputy Ministry of Culture expresses its pleasure and satisfaction for the election of Mrs.Euthymia Alpha, Archaeological Officer A' and national expert of the Republic of Cyprus, to the position of Vice-Chairperson of the Bureau of the 12th Session of the Subsidiary Committee of States Parties to the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. The election took place at the meeting of the Committee, which is currently taking place at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The elected Bureau consists of the Chairperson (representative of Côte d'Ivoire), the Rapporteur (representative of Brazil) and the Vice-Chairpersons - representatives of Azerbaijan, China, Cyprus and Egypt.
It should be noted that the election of the Commission follows the principles of geographical representation and equitable rotation, and its members are elected for a period of four years. Every two years the Meeting of the States Parties renews half of the members of the Commission, whose tasks are specific:
- to promote the objectives of the Convention,
- to examine the national reports submitted to the General Conference by the States Parties to the Convention,
- to prepare and submit to the Meeting of States Parties recommendations and guidelines which may contribute to the implementation of the Convention,
- to identify problematic situations arising from the implementation of the Convention, including issues relating to the protection and return of cultural property,
- to establish and maintain coordination with the Return-Remediation Committee in relation to capacity-building measures to combat illicit trafficking in cultural property,
- and to inform the Meeting of States Parties of the activities that have been implemented.
Congratulating Ms. Alpha, the Minister of State for Culture stated the following: "The election of the national expert of the Republic of Cyprus to such an important body is a very important distinction, as it demonstrates the upgraded involvement of the Republic of Cyprus in international organisations for the protection of cultural heritage. At the same time, it reflects the international community's appreciation of the efforts of the Ministry of Culture and the Department of Antiquities in preventing the illicit import, export and transfer of ownership of cultural property, and helps to highlight Cyprus' capabilities at the international level."
The Ministry of Culture places particular emphasis on the active participation of Cyprus in UNESCO committees, meetings and working groups related to cultural heritage. In particular, the participation of Cyprus in the Committee for the 1970 Convention is considered of exceptional importance for the Republic of Cyprus since it allows the return and restoration of cultural property, provides guidelines for the improvement of legal frameworks and best practices, promotes international cooperation and raises public awareness on the issue of the protection of cultural heritage and in particular the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural property - a matter that directly concerns our country and its prospects.
