Museums and Underwater Cultural Heritage: Preliminary Reflections Toward Future UNESCO Guidelines

This session presents the preliminary reflections and findings developed in preparation for future UNESCO guidelines on the protection and presentation of underwater cultural heritage (UCH) in museums. Building on the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage and the 2015 UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Protection and Promotion of Museums and Collections, it explores the evolving role of museums in safeguarding, interpreting and communicating UCH to diverse audiences.

The programme brings together specialists and practitioners from three countries to examine this question from multiple angles: the international legal framework, the challenge of making submerged heritage physically and digitally accessible to the public, and the complex relationships between museums, shipwreck artifact salvors, and public agencies.

Speakers:

• Cesar Moreno-Triana, Programme Specialist, Underwater Cultural Heritage Unit, UNESCO Culture Sector — brief presentation of the 2001 Convention

• Fred Hocker, Director of Research, Vasa Museum, Sweden — preliminary reflections toward future UNESCO…