It gives me pleasure to report the National Convention on the activities of our Committee.

Since the last Convention the Committee has incorporated and received quite a few new members and supporters.  We’ve also noticed an increasing interest in restitution amongst younger people.  This has been reflected in the changing composition of the Committee’s membership.

Throughout the last year the Committee has continued to provide publicity for restitution through illustrated lectures, radio interviews and press releases. These activities have formed a central part of the Committee’s educative role in all Australian states and territories. The Committee has become a significant and effective national body that is automatically associated with the case for restitution by the Australian public.

The Committee has maintained an ongoing communication on the case for restitution with all recent British Prime Ministers. Within Australia the Committee has ensured that all levels of government are kept informed on the on the issue.

In May we wrote to the new Greek Minister for Culture, Mr Michael Liapis advising him of our continuing campaign for restitution and that we are the oldest committee in the world. We also provided him with some historical background on our Committee’s role in supporting the formation of the British Committee in 1983 and the founding of the New Zealand Committee 2000.  The latter was successful last year in lobbying the New Zealand Government which unanimously passed a resolution of support for restitution.

I hope the convention goes well and I’m looking forward to the commitment and continuing support of all members in pursuing the world’s most important cultural issue, the restitution of the Parthenon Marbles.

Yours fraternally,

Bro Emanuel J Comino OAM, PSP, JP

Founder and Chairman