States parties shall preserve underwater cultural heritage for the benefit of humanity in conformity with the provisions of this convention. The unesco convention on the protection of the underwater cultural heritage hereinafter unesco 2001 convention is unesco s main tool to improve legal and operational protection of. The unesco convention on the protection of the underwater cultural heritage is the international communitys response to the destruction of submerged archaeological sites by treasurehunters and industrial activities. Ireland and the unesco convention on the protection of the u nderwater cultural heritage. The 2001 unescoconvention on the protection of the u nderwater cultural heritage.
Unesco convention on the protection of the underwater. Defined in the unesco 2001 convention on the protection of the underwater cultural heritage, underwater cultural heritage encompasses all traces of human existence that lie or once lay under water for at least 100 years and have a cultural or historical character. The international conference on the protection of the underwater cultural heritage will take place from 17 to 19 june 2019 at les ateliers des capucins in the city of brest, france. The cultural and natural heritage is among the priceless and irreplaceable assets, not only of each nation, but of humanity as a whole. Pdf the unesco 2001 convention on the protection of the. Pdf the 2001 unescoconvention on the protection of the. Unesco convention on the protection of the underwater cultural heritage. The 36 rules of the annex present a directly applicable operation scheme for underwater interventions. Natural heritage 1972, the convention for the protection of the underwater cultural heritage 2001, the convention for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage 2003, the convention for the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions 2005. The protection of underwater cultural heritage is at the heart of this convention, together with public enjoyment and the fight against commercial exploitation, wherever it is found. The draft was forwarded to unesco for consideration and formed the original basis for discussion leading to the convention on the protection of the underwater cultural heritage.
Operational guidelines for the implementation of the world. The ultimate goal of unesco s normative action is to safeguard. The richness of the worlds underwater cultural heritage is often underesti mated. The unesco convention on the protection of the underwater cultural heritage, adopted in 2001, is intended to enable states to better protect their submerged cultural heritage. Unescos convention on the protection of the underwater. Brief history the idea of creating an international movement for protecting heritage emerged after world war i. United nations educational, scientific and cultural organization. Secretariat of the of the unesco convention on the. The convention on the protection of the underwater cultural heritage unesco convention provides an international legal framework for china to protect underwater cultural heritage and facilitate cooperation with other state parties. Various international unesco conventions establish legal systems for the protection of cultural heritage.
Consult the text of the 2001 convention and its annex. Conventions and agreements of standardsetting nature adopted under the auspices of unesco solely or jointly with other international organizations. The 2005 convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions. National perspectives in light of the unesco convention 2001, second edition publications on ocean development sarah dromgoole ed. Pdf ireland and the unesco convention on the protection. Concerned by the destruction of submerged heritage, unesco member states adopted in 2001 the unesco convention on the protection of the underwater cultural heritage. This includes three million shipwrecks such as titanic, belitung and the 4,000 shipwrecks of the sunken fleet of kublai khan. The unesco convention on the protection of underwater cultural heritage 2001 unesco konvention. The unesco convention on the protection of the underwater.
The 1972 convention concerning the protection of the world cultural and natural heritage developed from the merging of two separate movements. Unesco draft convention on protection of underwater. The protection of heritage and cultural diversity unesco. Unesco world heritage centre the world heritage convention. Protocol to the convention for the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict. This article summarizes some of the legal implications of the 100th anniversary of its sinking, as the titanic becomes subject to the provisions of the united nations educational, scientific and cultural organization unesco convention on the protection of underwater cultural heritage. There are also sunken ruins and cities, like the remains of the pharos of alexandria, egypt one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and thousands of submerged prehistoric sites. New archaeological rules as well as a comprehensive cooperation system among the states concerned are set up by the new convention. This information kit was produced with the principal aim of promoting this convention and encouraging countries to join the ranks of its states parties. Introduction to the unesco convention on the protection of the underwater cultural heritage. Conscious that cultural diversity forms a common heritage of humanity and should be cherished and preserved for the. United states position on the 2001 unesco convention on the protection of the underwater cultural heritage the united states us has stated its support for the preamble, the annex rules and most of the general principles of historic preservation in the 2001 unesco convention the us actively participated as an observer delegation in the negotiation.
Underwater cultural heritage at risk unesco introduction ii 6 depending on the current location of the underwater cultural heritage, specific regimes for cooperation between coastal and. Download pdf safeguarding underwater cultural heritage in the pacific. Convention for the protection of cultural property in the. Southeast asia ministries of culture met to discuss the safeguarding and reviving the shared maritime and underwater cultural heritage of southeast asia.
It is an international treaty, which represents the response of the international community to the increasing looting and destruction of underwater cultural heritage. The 2001 unesco convention on the protection of the underwater cultural heritage has been elaborated and adopted by the member states of unesco. When entered into force, it will apply to all traces of human existence having a cultural, historical, or archaeological character, which have been partially or totally under. Pdf study on protection of underwater cultural heritage. Convention on the protection of the underwater cultural. Convention on the protection of the underwater cultural heritage. National perspectives in light of the unesco convention 2001. The convention on the protection of the underwater cultural heritage is a treaty that was adopted on 2 november 2001 by the general conference of the united nations educational, scientific and cultural organization unesco. Member states who sign or agree to abide by the convention are added to the list of state parties. On november 6, 2001, the convention on the protection of the underwater cultural heritage cpuch was signed in paris, france, with the united nations educational, scientific, and cultural organisation. Cultural property rights for the 21st century, the public interest in the restitution of cultural objects, connecticut journal of international law, 16 2001. The unesco convention on the protection of the underwater cultural heritage, adopted by the unesco general conference in 2001, intends to enable states to better protect their underwater heritage. Pdf unesco adopts convention concerning the protection. The 2001 unesco convention on the protection of the underwater cultural heritage represents a major step forward in the field of international law.
From october 15 through november 3 of this year, the general conference of the united nations educational, scientific, and cultural organization unesco will meet to discuss, among other things, the adoption of a draft convention for the protection of underwater cultural heritage. This convention aims to ensure and strengthen the protection of underwater cultural heritage. Ensuring the preservation of submerged treasures for the. Responses to the 2001 unesco convention on the protection of the underwater cultural heritage. Underwater cultural heritage encompasses all traces of human existence that lie or have lain underwater and have a cultural or historical character. This entry shall only be made, in accordance with the provisions of the present convention and under the conditions provided for in the regulations for the execution of the convention. Acua underwater archaeology proceedings 2014, chapter. Over the years, they have become a reference document in the field of underwater archaeology, setting out regulations for the responsible management of such cultural heritage.
Report on good practice in the protection and management of world war iirelated underwater cultural heritage edited by the pacific underwater cultural heritage partnership apia. National perspectives in light of the unesco convention 2001, 2nd ed. The rms titanic struck an iceberg and sank 1415 april 1912. Article 25 as a general rule, only part of the cost of work necessary shall be borne by the international com munity. Niue ratifies unesco convention on the protection of the underwater cultural heritage. The benefit of the protection of underwater cultural. Ulrike koschtial is an assistant programme specialist in the museum and cultural objects section of unesco, in charge of the 2001 convention. Unesco convention on the protection of the underwater heritage. It will focus on questions of the ratification and implementation of the convention, discuss the future of underwater cultural heritage protection and also of the. Three conventions in particular the 1954 hague convention fo r the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict and its two 1954 and 1999 protocols. The world heritage committee appeals to all member states of unesco to cooperate in the fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural objects and illegal wildlife trade, as well as cultural heritage protection in general, including through the implementation of the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora cites, and of united nations security.
Unesco adopts convention concerning the protection of the underwater cultural heritage. Chinas maritime silk road initiative and the protection. Introduction to the unesco convention on the protection of. While over the last century, archaeological sites on land have yielded an abundance of information on the development of civilizations, the oceans, which cover the larger part of our planet, still retain many of their secrets. There are also sunken ruins and cities, like the remains of the pharos of alexandria, egypt one of the seven wonders of the ancient. The 2001 unesco convention on the protection of the. Special protection is granted to cultural property by its entry in the international register of cultural property under special protection. States parties shall cooperate in the protection of underwater cultural heritage. For the purpose of this convention, international protection of the world cultural and natural heritage shall be understood to mean the establishment of a system of international co operation and assistance designed to support states parties to the convention in their efforts to conserve and identify that heritage. Unesco s convention on the protection of the underwater cultural heritage, five years on. The protection of the underwater cultural heritage. World heritage of the 1972 world heritage convention. A trained lawyer, she is the author of several publications on intellectual property law and cultural heritage protection, in particular the unesco 2001 convention, as well as a book on the legal protection of industrial design. The attacks on cultural heritage as a crime of war.