Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports: Contribution to UNHR Rapporteur
for the cultural rights

Greece performs a vast number of activities ranging from cultural heritage management to cultural and creative industries promotion, protecting cultural rights and enforcing the cultural life, making Culture in Greece both an enabler and a driver of the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.

Greece also supports and enforces in its legal framework the cultural life promoting cultural diversity and UNESCO's Culture Conventions, which are key to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Furthermore, Greece, through the competent public bodies, arm's-length organizations and private cultural entities, promotes cultural education of youth, with an emphasis on the use of new technologies.

Furthermore, The National Growth Strategy 2021 regards the country's rich cultural heritage as one of our comparative advantages which linked to tourism and the new technologies provides a major pillar for economic growth and sustainable development. The strategic choice of the Ministry of Culture & Sports is dual: 1. the promotion of cultural heritage through modern activities and investments, and 2. the strengthening of the contemporary artistic creativity.

Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions

(General Directorate of Contemporary Culture, Directorate for the Development of Modern Creation)

In Greece, the principle of freedom of artistic and literary expression is constitutionally guaranteed (Article 16 of the Hellenic Constitution), and is implemented through a variety of programs and actions promoting the country's cultural identity and encouraging the cultural expression and participation in cultural life without discriminations, including children and youth and vulnerable social groups (unemployed, disabled people, economic migrants etc.).

In this framework, the principle of promoting cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue is expressed in the same constitutional right of freedom of artistic and literary expression, as well as in a variety of programs and actions that promote the country's cultural identity and encourage cultural expression and participation in cultural life without any discrimination.

Greece's presence in international fora has a major historical dimension (founding member of the UN, longstanding member of the EU). The respect for international law and human rights, the active participation in international organizations, the constant pursuit of bilateral and regional cooperation and of networking with public and private institutions, are fundamental components of Greek foreign cultural policy.

Culture is a privileged area for cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation. Through membership in the competent bodies of international organizations as well as through regional cooperation, the Ministry of Culture and Sports participates in multilateral cultural programs and develops international and regional cooperation and dialogue, which reinforce exchanges in every cultural sector.

As a result of the specific pressure of rising migratory flows into the country, the Ministry has raised its concerns on the subject to both the central and regional services, as well as to the various cultural institutions in the country (museums and other cultural institutions, public or private) so that they can open up to individuals and groups from different cultural backgrounds and accept difference. From this greater awareness, new types of actions emerged, which take into account the needs of the whole population both as artists and as consumers of the cultural goods.
Since 2007, our country has ratified and implements the UNESCO Convention (2005) on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. To this day, two Greek Quadrennial Periodic Reports for the implementation of the Convention have been submitted to UNESCO   (2012  &   2016)   and  they  are  available  at  the  following address:
http://en.unesco.org/creativity/monitoring-reporting/periodic-reports/available-reports?field party target id=All&page=1

The Ministry of Culture & Sports has included the implementation of the Convention in its organogram Implementing the Convention, Greece takes measures to ensure the unhindered access to culture (and specifically to all the different stages of the cultural value chain) for all, without discriminations within its territory.

Particular emphasis is given by the Ministry of Culture and Sports and the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs to the cultural education of young people, students and vulnerable groups.

The Ministry of Culture and Sports is working on measures and projects to enhance the mobility of artists. Also, it has developed a digital platform, where the cultural activity of municipal and other cultural agencies across the country is promoted, articles and studies concerning cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue are posted, and a database of the festivals (cultural, scientific and more) taking place each year in Greece is available. Future plans for the above platform include making it available in more languages.

Implementation of programs and activities aiming at the enhancement of the intercultural dialogue, the social inclusion of vulnerable groups (including women), raising awareness and social cohesion and tolerance. The arms length organizations of the Ministry of Culture and Sports, plus the regularly subsidized ones, a number of Municipal Authorities all over the country, the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation, Libraries & local schools, as well as private cultural bodies, often organize awareness raising activities addressed to broad public on combating racism and social exclusion, through art.
Furthermore some cultural bodies organize actions for the promotion of the artistic work of creators belonging to vulnerable groups (disable artists, former addicts, migrants etc.) Also some organizations implement special cultural programs for vulnerable groups.

Certain categories of vulnerable groups are excluded from paying entry fee to museums under the remit of the Ministry of Culture & Sports, monuments and archaeological sites [such as persons with disabilities (67% or more), young people aged up to 18 years, single parents with minor children, holders of unemployment or solidarity card].

Culture has a direct and positive impact on employment and the economy contributing to the promotion of the cultural life leaving none behind. Apart from the cultural and creative industries, the culture sector generates direct employment during the implementation of projects supporting labor mobility, professionalization and the exchange of scientific knowledge and know-how. In addition, cultural infrastructures create jobs during their operational phase. Since 2011, employment opportunities have been largely linked to contemporary culture and attract young people in particular. The characteristics of employment in the cultural sector are geographically distributed across the country, following the geographical dispersion of monuments and archaeological sites, with highly skilled positions that reinforce gender equality. Heritage-related investments produce employment primarily in the tourism sector. According to a study carried out by Deloitte, in 2014 the total economic impact from the implementation of cultural projects produces a multiplying effect of 3.44 for the Greek economy.
Despite the financial difficulties and lack of personnel, most cultural bodies and institutions in the public and private sector have expanded their activities to achieve audience development. This is done through a wide range of collaborations addressed to different social or age groups (including vulnerable groups), using a variety of means (digital or traditional), and covering different cultural and historical periods and ways to communicate and interact with their audiences.

According to the study "Mapping the Cultural - Creative Industry in Greece", which was conducted at 2016 by the Regional Development Institute of Panteion University for the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, the main figures concerning the Cultural and Creative Industries in Greece are the following:

The sector in Greece (2014) employed 110,688 employees in 46,370 enterprises, which sold symbolic goods and services of about € 5.3 bn, with about € 2.1 bn added value for the Greek economy, and 1.4% contribution to the GDP (Graph 1). Respectively, in the EU-28 CCIs contributed in 2014, 2.8% (€ 353 bn) to the European GDP, through 1.7 mn enterprises that employed 6.1 mn employees.

The arms length organizations of the Ministry of Culture and Sports and the subsidized ones are constantly working to improve infrastructures for the unhindered access of people with disabilities in cultural spaces and to develop innovative applications favoring the enjoyment of cultural products by disabled audience.

As part of the lifting of barriers regarding access of the disabled people to professional education in the field of theatre, the obligation of being able-bodied as a prerequisite in order to participate in the Admission Examinations of Higher Schools of Dramatic Art (Department of Acting) was abolished.

Article 32, paragraph 2f, of Law 4452/2017 (Government Gazette 17 / Α / 15-2-2017) repealed the third phrase, case c, paragraph 1, of Article 8 of the Presidential Decree 370/1983 (A 130). This amendment was first put into effect in the Admission Exams of the school year 2017-18.

The financial crisis, which in Greece essentially began in 2009, had a strong impact on CCIs' key figures. From 2008 up to 2014, added value decreased by 55.1%, the number of employees was reduced by 29.5% and enterprises decreased by 27.9%

During the same period, an enormous upsurge in the number of enterprises has been observed in EU-28 (36.5%), which triggered an upsurge of added value (28.6%) and a less intense increase in the other variables (in sales by 11.5% and in employees by 9.2%)

Out of the employees in the cultural and creative sector, as a whole, 57% are men and 43% women. In the 2008-2014 period a slight increase of women employees in the field by 2% is observed and a corresponding decrease of men employees. In the same period, the participation of men and women in CCIs' labour market in EU-28 shows a higher gender parity. 57% of employees in country's cultural and creative sector in 2014 were higher education graduates. In the 2008-2014 period, the aforementioned employees increased by 23.7% (Εϋ-28: 40%), while employees with primary education decreased by 73% (Εϋ-28: -24%), a fact that indicates the increased professionalization of the wider field of creative labor and possibly the extent to which the latter is viewed as an attractive field of work for a highly educated workforce. Furthermore, 65% of employees in the cultural and creative sector in Greece are 30-49years old (2014), while the 15-29 age group experienced a 56%
decrease in employment during the economic crisis.

Cultural and creative sectors comprise a large number of significantly heterogeneous sub-sectors and industries which also appear to exhibit diverse features in terms of organization, market structure, economic magnitude and government support across countries or even across regions of a country. In this regard, one should also expect great variation in the characteristics and challenges of entrepreneurs being engaged in different industries of different countries and regions. As concerns the forms of employment in CCIs, the literature suggests that cultural and creative entrepreneurs are far more likely to be engaged in non-conventional employment based on part-time work, temporary contracts and freelancing, than the workforce in general. In this vein, a lot of academic studies emphasize on the atypical forms of employment and the precarious working conditions in cultural and creative sector involving flexibility, mobility, project work, voluntary or very low-paid activities. 
A considerable number of people working in the CCIs either does not "officially declare" as its primary employment sector one of these industries (although he/she is actually employed in them) or works without insurance and healthcare provision. For example, a research on the professional situation of authors in Greece has indicated that 15% of them recognize book writing as their main income source, while 66% of them acknowledge that their health insurance is related to employment which is irrelevant to their writing activity. Another limitation of official statistical data is that they do not take into account voluntary (i.e. unpaid) or temporary employment (e.g. internships).

Finally, creative professionals appear to share some common characteristics: (a) most of them are young (less than 40 years old); (b) in many cases they appear to work without social security, they not to declare their income from creative employment in order to avoid indirect taxation (VAT) as they cannot afford the cost; (c) the most important funding source for their ventures are friends and relatives; (d) they are well-educated (Avdikos, 2014; LIEE/NTUA, 2015).
Reduce social and regional inequalities through insurance of equal opportunities for All
(UNESCO report for implementation of SDGs) Archeological sites, Museums & Monuments:
The considerable archeological safeguarding work of the Ministry of Culture & Sports is spread throughout the country and consists largely of building infrastructure that contribute to the development of the local economy not only during the construction work through the strengthening of the local employment, but also after its completion through educational programs and cultural events. 
Cultural development projects (excavations, restorations and conservation works) are often included in several sectoral and regional operational programmes of the country because of the added value they provide to local employment, productivity and economy, in general. 
Linking cultural heritage with the local community through synergies of touristic and awareness- raising content enhances the provided cultural product, strengthens the country's position in the international touristic map resulting into economic and social growth and enforcing the cultural life. Synergies with the touristic sector aim to broaden the touristic period and to involve professionals of different fields from a vast geographical area.

Appropriate investing activity with the use of edge technologies (as in the case of the e-ticket) is believed to increase significantly revenues from tourism in the archeological sites and museums contributing to the accessibility right policy, their sustainability and (in same case) to their financial self-adequacy.
More than 7% of Greek territory is officially registered in the National Archeological Land Registry, while every excavation for engineering projects in the country is under the supervision of the local archeological service for the case of historical findings. In order for the afore mentioned comparative advantage of Greek cultural heritage not to become an obstacle towards new investment plans, the controlling mechanisms might need to be revised in order become more transparent and effective without any deduction in the protection of our heritage.
The intervention strategies framework -International and European Conventions
(General Directorate of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage, Directorate of Modern Cultural Heritage)
For the study, the protection, the safeguarding and the management of cultural heritage a wide legal framework, which is formed by the relative international and European conventions (as their ratification has the validity of the law), is taken into consideration.
□	The Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (UNESCO, 1972) which was ratified by Greece in 1981 and aims at the protection of the cultural and natural heritage which is of paramount international importance.
□	The Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (UNESCO 2003), which was ratified by Greece in 2006 and composes the institutional framework for the registration, safeguarding, promotion and designation of the intangible cultural goods, as identity principal components. It should be noted that the Law for the protection antiquities and cultural heritage (3028/2002), which precedes the Convention, made an explicit reference to the need of safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage.
□	The Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of the Cultural Expressions (UNESCO 2005), which was also ratified by Greece in 2006. The Convention focuses on the binary nature of the cultural goods, services and activities as entities of values, cultural meanings and identities, as well as important factors of social and economic development.
□	The Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society (Faro Convention 2005), the first International Convention on Landscape(s), which constitutes a component and holistic approach to the total of expressions of cultural heritage emphasizing on the participatory approach in culture.
□	European Landscape Convention - Florence Convention (Council of Europe 2004), the first International Landscape Convention, which constitutes the common agreement of the Council of Europe member States, for sustainable management and protection of the identity and the diversity of the landscape throughout Europe.
□	European Agenda for Culture (European Union 2007), which recognizes the significance of culture for prosperity, solidarity and security.
□	The New European Agenda for Culture (European Union 2018), which promotes the social and economic aspect and the participatory approach of culture and cultural heritage .
□	European Cultural Heritage Strategy for the 21st century (Council of Europe 2017), which promotes an extensive and non- excluding participation of local societies in the creation of relevant policies.
□	The Agreement of the Executive Office of the Global Organization of United Cities and Local Governments (Mexico 2010), declaring culture as the fourth pillar of development.
□	The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (UN 2015), according to which, culture constitutes the main pillar of development.

Strategies of intervention:

The Directorate of Modern Cultural Heritage (DMCH), on the basis of understanding the value of intangible cultural heritage and the necessity of its safeguarding, develops and implements activities that aim at:

The interdisciplinary and cross-thematic approach and assimilation of the specialized knowledge, regarding the progress of related scientific sectors and the experiences that result from the implementation of major international and European conventions for cultural heritage and culture in general the use of this knowledge and these policies, in cooperation with local communities, local administration and civil society, in order to achieve the safeguarding and the designation/highlighting of their heritage, both for their benefit and for the benefit of society in general.

Cultural heritage and especially intangible cultural heritage provides the keys to ensure quality of life in local societies and to promote products and services of high quality to those who wish to know the countryside in a multilateral way, as a cultural good that belongs to all.

The Directorate of Modern Cultural Heritage is the competent authority/body of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports for the implementation of the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (UNESCO, 2003), while it is also responsible, in collaboration with the Directorate for the Development of Modern Creation, for the implementation of the Convention on the Protection and on the Promotion of Diversity of Cultural Expressions (UNESCO, 2005).

Key objectives : Policy making for cultural heritage of rural spaces

On the basis of the directions given by the international and the European Conventions for the promotion of the cultural dimension of rural spaces and the management of cultural heritage in general, the Directorate of Modern Cultural Heritage aspires to contribute to:
□	the promotion of the cultural and social value of rural spaces, as they are defined by the interaction between human and the environment,
□	the safeguarding of traditional arts, techniques and knowledge, which contribute to sustainable development of local societies,
□	the promotion of professions (eg. mountain guides, specialists in cultural interpretation) which highlight the cultural dimension of the rural space to the wider public,
□	the highlighting of agri-food traditions of rural space (eg. practices, such as the simplicity of nurturing, the social character of symposium and local agricultural products of high cultural value and quality as well),
□	the safeguarding and highlighting of customary practices, which constitute local identities and the sense of belonging in local societies, while also encouraging equal participation of different social groups in the expression of their special cultural features, so as to safeguard the harmonic cohabitation and prosperity,
□	the collaboration of all the relevant to the cultural heritage entities, aiming to promote, safeguard and protect the cultural heritage of rural spaces, based on values, priorities and choices that require sustainability and quality of life,
□	the motivation of local communities, in order to get know, defend, recreate and safeguard their heritage, identities and history,
□	the upgrade and the innovative orientation of local folklore museums, in order for them to create topics of dialogue, democratic participation and cultural economic development of local societies,
□	the use of digital and other means of safeguarding and highlighting the cultural heritage of rural spaces.

The Directorate of Modern Cultural Heritage (DMCH) is responsible for the planning and the implementation of activities for the safeguarding of intangible cultural goods. In this framework it has created the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Greece, which is hosted in the official site http://ayla.culture.gr, while at the same time it organizes events for the awareness of intangible cultural heritage, such as info days, workshops and lectures.
22 elements have already been inscribed on the National Inventory Greece
5 elements have so far inscribed on the Representative List of the ICH of Humanity.
Pending decision for the inscription of the Art of Dry Stone on the ICH Representative List ((joint
candidacy of Greece, France, Switzerland , Spain, Italy, Croatia, Cyprus, Slovenia)

Files under process:

Autumn 2019: The Art of chanting (joint candidacy of Greece and Cyprus) 
The transhumance (joint candidacy of Greece, Italy, Austria)
Illustrative examples of intangible cultural heritage with particular value in terms of sustainable development for local communities because of their link to traditional and eco-friendly practices are:
-	Mediterranean diet. It involves a set of skills, knowledge, rituals, symbols and traditions concerning
crops, harvesting, fishing, animal husbandry, conservation, processing, cooking, and particularly the
sharing and consumption of food.
-	Tinian Marble Craftsmanship. It refers to the empirical knowledge of the composition and structure of marble-bearing rock, along with a range of traditional motifs, patterns and symbols essential for local and national culture.
-	The craft of wooden shipbuilding. The traditional wooden shipyards constitute small productivity units that utilize, mostly local, workers in all the stages of the procedure of constructing, repairing or reconstructing traditional boats.
-	Sacred forests of the villages of Zagori and Konitsa, as examples of environmental management, uniquely highlighting the practices, ethical rules and values that characterize retention practices on a small scale.
Summer Schools
In 2018, the Directorate of Modern Culture, with the village of Dimitsana in Central Peloponnese, as the starting point the village of Dimitsana, inaugurates/introduces a new activity/project concerning the organization of Summer Schools. This project is in complete relevance with the significance of rural spaces as cultural heritage, but also requires the participation of the local societies for the highlighting and the safeguarding of their cultural heritage. The main objectives of the project are the awareness of new specialized scientists, of the public administration and of the local administration executives, as well as that of museums and cultural organizations in the study, highlighting and safeguarding of rural spaces as cultural heritage, the search of common grounds regarding tangible and intangible cultural heritage, and the exploration of ways for the active participation of the local societies in the political and cultural management

Educational activities in collaboration with Athens Ethnographic Film Festival 

Aiming at raising youth's awareness about safeguarding ICH

-	Screenings of selected ethnographic documentaries addressed to schoolchildren of primary and secondary level of education
-	Educational material about the ethnographic documentary as a teaching tool.
-	Interconnection of the ethnographic documentary with the educational act and the acquaintance of the students with the meaning of the intangible cultural heritage have special value and multiple benefits.

Former addicted persons:

Since 2002, the Department of Modern Cultural Heritage (DMCH) of the Ministry of Culture and Sports has been carrying out actions in cooperation with the rehabilitation communities to organize educational seminars, workshops, etc. After the completion of the seminars the communities in cooperation with DMCH shall create performances of their works. 

Roma:
Establishment of a Committee of Experts in which DMCH participates as a member. Educational programmes for prisoners
The Directorate of Museums, Exhibitions and Educational Programmes, Department of Educational Programs and Communication designed, organized and presented educational programmes, activities and events to the prisoners in order to highlight the importance of culture for their preparation in community reintegration process. A relevant conference will be organized on 4th November 2018 in order to present, promote and communicate to the wider public the prisoners' educational program results.

Support on refugee crisis peaceful settlement:

As a result of the pressure of rising migratory flows into the country, the Ministry has raised its concerns on the subject to both the central and regional services, as well as to the various cultural institutions in the country (museums and other cultural institutions, public or private) so that they can open up to individuals and groups from different cultural backgrounds and accept difference. 
From this increased awareness, new types of actions are emerging, which take into account the needs of the whole population both as artists and as consumers of the cultural goods.
Activities addressed to Refugee - Migrants
The several programs and activities carried out in recent years are (in all cultural bodies and
institutions across the country) organized in four levels:
1.	Awakening actions addressed to the whole population
2.	Actions addressed to only immigrants and refugee populations
3.	Actions carried out by immigrants and supported by the local people or foreign organizations
4.	Actions aimed at equitable presence of locals and immigrants in the cultural life and are carried out through mixed groups of local partnerships and solidarity groups.
It is worth noting that the respond of the whole population on this crucial issue - for the time being - is helpful and essential to any integration developments.

Educational Information Meetings - in collaboration with ICOM in the general framework entitled Education and Modern Greek Cultural Heritage
2017: Educational Programs for Refugees - Educational Programs with Refugees ". 

European Cultural Heritage Days
2016: Thematic section "Persecutions: Old and new stories about violence and tolerance".
Recent cultural policy developments which have integrated a cultural rights approach (Answer to
questionnaire: ΙΙΙ.2)

(Directorate of Museums, Exhibitions and Educational Programmes, Department of Exhibitions) 

With regard to EU cooperation in the framework of the Council of the EU, recent cultural policy developments which have integrated a cultural rights approach, as described in the questionnaire, include the following:

a.	Council Conclusions on Participatory Governance of Cultural Heritage (2014/C 463/01), OJC 463, 23.12.2014 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:C:2014:463:FULL&from=EN
b.	The designation of 2018 as European Year of Cultural Heritage which aimed, inter alia, at promoting innovative models of participatory governance and management of cultural heritage, involving all stakeholders, including public authorities, the cultural heritage sector, private actors and civil society organisations, as well as at promoting solutions which make cultural heritage accessible to all, including via digital means, by removing social, cultural and physical barriers, taking into account people with special needs (Decision (EU) 2017/864 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2017 on a European Year of Cultural Heritage (2018)
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32017D0864&from=EN
c. Council Conclusions on Promoting Access to Culture via Digital Means which, inter alia, invited the Member States and the Commission, within the spheres of their respective competences to acknowledge the need to respect copyright and related rights and recognise the importance of creators' rights while aiming at the broadest possible access to content; take advantage of the 2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage to promote public access to digital heritage resources and services, including Europeana, and to increase participation in the governance of cultural heritage within all social groups, by making better use of digital means. (2017/C 425/03), OJC 425, 12.12.2017 file:///C:/Users/user2/Downloads/DOC 1.en.pdf

In addition, the new Council Work Plan for Culture for the period 2019-2022, which is currently under discussion and due to be adopted by the Ministers' Council of 27 November 2018, contains a thematic priority on "Gender Equality" in the Cultural and Creative Sectors, specifically addressing the status of female artists and cultural professionals (e.g. access to resources, representation in decision-making, pay) across Europe, with a view to raising awareness of gender equality in the CCS at political, administrative and practical levels and to inducing concrete measures in the "Creative Europe" programme.
Others: Awareness raising and social inclusion (UNESCO report for implementation of SDGs)
In recent years, Ministry of Culture and Sports has implemented many awareness- raising activities addressed to the broader public in order to promote sustainable development, social inclusion and to combat racism. Some of these activities have been primarily adopted by the Ministry of Culture and Sports and the Ministry of Education Research and Religious Affairs, other ministries, as well as museums, municipalities, cultural institutions, schools, and the press and media. All these awareness raising activities, programs and initiatives concern mainly the integration of vulnerable groups, especially refugees/migrants, Roma, former addicts, the disabled, the unemployed and incarcerated persons.

There is, also, a continuous cooperation between the Ministry of Culture and Sports and other Ministries concerning the development of specific programs for vulnerable groups. For example under the instructions of the Inter-ministerial Commission for Combating Substance Dependence, the competent Directorate of the Ministry of Culture and Sports implements on an annual basis programs for both prevention and the social rehabilitation and integration of former addicts.

In addition to the activities carried out by the various cultural bodies and institutions of the public or private sector, it is worth mentioning that there have also been grassroots initiatives (festivals, magazines, self-managed cultural centers) carried out by the civil society, aiming also the integration of socially excluded people and their equal participation in cultural life.

Furthermore, public awareness on illicit trafficking with realized or planned activities (Website page design, Production of an advertisement campaign, Poster designs, targeting the public information for the activities of the Department of Documentation and Protection of Cultural Goods, Publication of a Book, in cooperation with the Historical Archives of Antiquates and Restoration Unit) in order to achieve the goal of protection of illicit trafficking of cultural goods. Also, the design of educational material for pupils and students information on issues related to the legal and illicit trafficking of cultural goods, in cooperation with the Department of Museums.

Greece in International cultural life (UNESCO report for implementation of SDGs)

Greece, despite the financial crisis, is constantly cooperating with developing countries in culture sector for the protection of cultural diversity and promotion of cultural property and culture and creative industries. Bilateral agreements in cultural sector are based on mutual development of policies to the development of cultural tourism and further exchange of know how and technologies. Furthermore, Greece, participates in UNESCO cultural committees (listed above) considering the support and cooperation of cultural heritage issues of developing countries, especially in the area of illicit trafficking of cultural heritage with active contribution in the efforts of exchange of information, communication and protection security initiatives (ex. Syria, Middle East, Africa and Latin America). Furthermore, Greece in an active member of regional Organizations satisfying the need of development policies and protection of cultural heritage in common with developing countries, members of these Organisations (ex. The Adriatic and Ionian Initiative which promotes the cultural tourism of South East European countries - especially Albania, Serbia/Kosovo, FYROM and Montenegro - the Black Sea Economic Cooperation with participation of South East Europe and Black sea East countries).

Through membership in the referred bodies of international organizations (European Union, UNESCO, Council of Europe, International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property, International Council of Museums, International Council on Museums and Sites) and of regional cooperation (Mediterranean Forum, Euro-Mediterranean Barcelona Process, Adriatic and Ionian Initiative, Council of Ministers of Culture of South East Europe, Black See Economic Cooperation, Summit of the Head of States of South East Europe, Annual Ministerial Conference on Cultural Heritage on the topic "Cultural Heritage-a Bridge towards a Shared Future"), the Ministry of Culture participates in multilateral cultural programmes and develops international and regional cooperation and dialogue, which reinforce exchanges in every cultural sector. Through such cooperation, it encourages cultural bodies and private citizens to participate in the international cultural life.