2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage

2003 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Dromgoole

AbstractThe UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, adopted in November 2001, is designed to create a legal framework to regulate interference with underwater cultural heritage (UCH) in international waters. This article briefly considers the background to the Convention and discusses its main provisions. These relate to the scope of application of the Convention; its objectives and general principles; its approach to private rights; its treatment of state vessels and the question of sovereign immunity; and its relationship with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982. The article then goes on to examine in detail the control mechanisms that the Convention adopts in respect of each maritime zone and the sanctions that contracting states will be required to impose for violations. Finally, dispute settlement procedures are briefly considered, before the article concludes with comments on the Convention's likely impact and effectiveness.

Author(s):  
Sarah Dromgoole

The 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage is designed to regulate activities directed at heritage assets located in the marine environment. Basic principles and objectives are enunciated in the main text of the treaty and ‘Rules’ setting out internationally accepted archaeological standards are enshrined in the treaty’s Annex. Section I of this chapter summarizes the background to the Convention and its material scope of application before going on to outline its provisions with respect to the recovery and disposition of heritage assets that fall within its scope. Section II draws attention to certain problems that may arise when these provisions are applied to the most prevalent form of underwater cultural heritage: shipwrecks. In the concluding section, some explanation is given for why these issues are not properly catered for by the Convention and some consideration given to their potential impact in the future.


2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 833-865 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hayley Roberts

AbstractThe UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage 2001 came into force in 2009, providing a much-needed international legal framework for the protection of underwater cultural heritage (UCH). This article explores the reasons why the UK has neglected to ratify the Convention and why accession should now be prioritized. In doing so, the article reconciles the UK's stance with the agreement; moving the State into a position where it can reconsider ratification. In this context, it examines the definition of UCH and the purpose of the Convention, the extension of sovereign immunity for wrecked warships, and the likelihood of creeping coastal State jurisdiction beyond the competences conferred by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. This transformative analysis moves forward the debate on these issues and is of international significance to States that have been similarly hesitant to ratify the Convention until now.


Author(s):  
O’Keefe Patrick J

This chapter focuses on underwater cultural heritage. This form of heritage is important because it constitutes what has been called a ‘time capsule’—meaning everything on a site may well be as it was when it disappeared beneath the water’s surface. It may be the wreck of a ship, the remains of a town, or a prehistoric settlement where land has subsided. There is general agreement that what remains is important to humanity. As such, protection and preservation of the underwater cultural heritage is a significant objective of the international legal system. The UNESCO Convention of 2001 is illustrative of this. However, the Convention exists within the international political and legal framework. In negotiating it, States were constrained by what they felt this framework required. Many were prepared to be generous in how they interpreted those requirements—others not so. The result is a complex agreement requiring care in implementation.


KALPATARU ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 53
Author(s):  
Agni Sesaria Mochtar

Abstract. Indonesia is a renowned country of its richness of underwater archaeological heritage. Abundant maritime cultural activities had provided data to reconstruct the ancient maritime glory. In the matter of fact, the efforts to reconstruct the history are still facing many challenges especially in the lack of main point of view in managing the heritage. Considering that the Indonesian underwater archaeological heritage is of international significance, this paper discusses the opportunity to implement in-situ preservation in managing underwater archaeological heritage in Indonesia, as it is recommended by the 2001 UNESCO Convention. Some issues in the management of underwater cultural heritage, including activities undertaken and related regulation, were discussed through a descriptive approach. This paper then shows that although Indonesia might not ratify the 2001 UNESCO Convention in the near future, in-situ preservation is an ideal strategy to manage the underwater cultural heritage and is applicable in Indonesia, subject to some adjustment of current regulations. Abstrak. Indonesia sangat kaya dengan peninggalan arkeologi bawah air. Berbagai aktivitas budaya maritim telah meninggalkan data yang melimpah untuk merekonstruksi sejarah bangsa ini. Pada kenyataannya, upaya rekonstruksi tersebut masih menghadapi banyak tantangan terutama dalam hal perbedaan sudut pandang pengelolaan tinggalan-tinggalan tersebut oleh para pihak pengelola. Mengingat bahwa peninggalan arkeologi bawah air di Indonesia tidak hanya memiliki signifikansi nasional, tapi juga regional bahkan internasional, kajian ini mengurai kemungkinan penerapan in-situ preservation, sebagaimana tercantum dalam Konvensi UNESCO tahun 2001, sebagai strategi pengelolaan peninggalan arkeologi bawah air Indonesia. Pendekatan deskriptif digunakan untuk menggambarkan permasalahan yang ada dan menunjukkan bahwa meskipun Indonesia belum dapat meratifikasi Konvensi UNESCO tahun 2001 dalam waktu dekat, in-situ preservation merupakan strategi ideal pengelolaan peninggalan arkeologi bawah air yang dapat diterapkan di Indonesia dengan melakukan penyesuaian regulasi yang berlaku.


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