Common Contracts
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INTRODUCTORY NOTE TO UNESCO: CONVENTION ON THE PROTECTION OF THE UNDERWATER CULTURAL HERITAGE, BY K. RUSSELL LAMOTTE*August 31st, 2021
This multilateral treaty, negotiated under the auspices of UNESCO, sets rules governing the regulation of activities directed at "underwater cultural heritage" ("UCH") located in maritime waters. This agreement reflects the international community's effort to respond to three closely related developments. First, recent technological advances in underwater survey and recovery techniques have meant that human artifacts located on the sea floor — consisting primarily of shipwrecks and related debris — have become increasingly accessible. Second, there has been a growing awareness that such wrecks are a valuable historical and archeological resource. And third, it has become increasingly clear that they lack sufficient protection under existing rules of maritime law.
