C.P.(Gen)Doc.1.J.10.
Article 65, 2 bis
After paragraph 2 of Article 65 add a new paragraph 2 bis, reading as follows:
2 bis. “The Italian Government undertakes to trace and return to Greece all works of art, including any object of archeological, historical or artistic value, all religious objects as well as all documents or archives removed from Greek territory during the war by the Italian authorities or forces or even by Italian nationals.
Should the restitution of such objects prove impossible, the Italian Government, at the request of the Greek Government, will replace them by objects of equal historical value; the same obligation will [Page 703] apply when the return of such objects is impossible because of their damaged condition.
The provisions of paragraph 2 above also apply to the objects referred to above which were destroyed or damaged on Greek territory as a result of military operations or other acts of the Italian forces or authorities.
All disputes concerning the interpretation or application of the present Article will be referred to an arbitrator chosen by Unesco; the ruling of this arbitrator will be final.”
The invaders of Greece did not spare her archeological treasures; they included them in their programme of plunder and destruction. One of the objectives which the United Nations fought to achieve is to re-establish respect for human values and one of the most important of these values is a regard for the monuments and remains of European culture. This is why Italy, apart from, and possibly above, any legal obligation is morally obliged to retrieve and return all objects removed and pilfered, as well as to replace those which were destroyed.