UNESCO Treaty on Submerged Cultural Heritage -Who has signed it? Who has not?

[ropesfish]

We often discuss the "UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage" and conjecture who has and who has not signed this abomination of an agreement that surrenders a good bit of a sovereign countries autonomy to a failed attempt at starting a global government.
Well...here's a list of the 58 signatories to the above treaty as of February, 2018.
List of signatories to the UNESCO treaty on Submerged Cultural Resources
Albania 19/03/2009
Algeria 26/02/2015
Antigua and Barbuda 25/04/2013
Argentina 19/07/2010
Bahrain 07/03/2014
Barbados 02/10/2008
Belgium 05/08/2013
Benin 04/08/2011
Bolivia 24/02/2017
Bosnia and Herzegovina 22/04/2009
Bulgaria II 06/10/2003
Cambodia 24/11/2007
Croatia 01/12/2004
Cuba 26/05/2008
Democratic Republic of the Congo 28/09/2010
Ecuador 01/12/2006
Egypt 30/08/2017
France 07/02/2013
Gabon 01/02/2010
Ghana 20/01/2016
Grenada 15/01/2009
Guatemala 03/11/2015
Guinea-Bissau 07/03/2016
Guyana 28/04/2014
Haiti 09/11/2009
Honduras 23/07/2010
Hungary 19/03/2014
Iran (Islamic Republic of) 16/06/2009
Italy 08/01/2010
Jamaica 09/08/2011
Jordan 30/05/2017
Lebanon 08/01/2007
Libya 23/06/2005
Lithuania 12/06/2006
Madagascar 19/01/2015
Mexico 05/07/2006
Montenegro 18/07/2008
Morocco 20/06/2011
Namib 09/03/2011
Nigeria 21/10/2005
Palestine 08/12/2011
Panama 20/05/2003
Paraguay 07/09/2006
Portugal 21/09/2006
Romania 31/07/2007
Saint Kitts and Nevis 03/12/2009
Saint Lucia 01/02/2007
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 08/11/2010
Saudi Arabia 13/11/2015
Slovakia II 11/03/2009
Slovenia 18/09/2008
South Africa 12/05/2015
Spain 06/06/2005
Togo 07/06/2013
Trinidad and Tobago 27/07/2010
Tunisia 15/01/2009
Ukraine 27/12/2006



​Since I really don't have a lot of interest in the rest of the world here is a list of countries in the Western Hemisphere that are signatories to UNC:
1) Antigua and Barbuda ​
2) Barbados
3) Bolivia
4) Cuba
5) Ecuador
6) Grenada
7) Guyana
​8) Haiti
9) Honduras
​10) Jamaica
11) Mexico
12) Panama
13) Paraguay
14) Saint Kitts and Nevis
15) Saint Lucia
16) Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
17) Trinidad and Tobago


A list of countries in North America and the Caribbean- signatories in red:
1. Antigua and Barbuda
2. Bahamas
3. Barbados
4. Belize
5. Canada
6. Costa Rica
7. Cuba
8. Dominica
9. Dominican Republic
10. -----------
11. El Salvador
12. Grenada
13. Guatemala
14. Guyana
15 Haiti
16. Honduras
17. Jamaica
18. Mexico
19. Nicaragua
20. Panama
21. Saint Kitts and Nevis
22. Saint Lucia
23. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
24. Trinidad and Tobago
25. United States of America (USA)

and a list of the countries in South America - signatories in red.
​South America:

1. Argentina
2. Bolivia
3. Brazil
4. Chile
5. Colombia
6. Ecuador
7. Guyana
8. Paraguay
9. Peru
10.Suriname
11. Uruguay
12. Venezuela








Sources and additional reading here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNESCO_Convention_on_the_Protection_of_the_Underwater_Cultural_Heritage

Underwater Cultural Heritage | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

Some good free publications here- Publications | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

International Committee on the Underwater Cultural Heritage » Underwater Cultural Heritage: A Significant Part of the Human Story

http://www.mpil.de/files/pdf1/mpunyb_rau_6.pdf

 

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[enrada]

I wish that those countries that have signed onto this UNESCO law would consult with Colombia and find out how lucky they are having not signed. Spain virtually told Colombia thanks for finding the San Jose for us, now we will help take all the treasure that we stole from South America back. Colombia promptly reminded Spain that they did not sign on. Spain lobbied every country in South America to get them to sign. Why do I run into Spanish Archaeologists(spies) working in permit departments? Spain has no shame. Why don't they claim their wrecks with tons of mercury on board? Maybe the UNESCO office in France will go bankrupt because of their high salaried desk jockeys and the stopping of funding from the US and others.

 

[ropesfish]

I must have gotten them all right or I would have heard about it by now.
It does leave a few areas open to search and salvage as long as the government of that particular area agrees - in writing.
I have talked to enough folks about doing salvage work in exotic locales to be very thorough in making sure that the officials
giving the OK are actually the officials who have the legal standing to do so.

Enrada said:
"I wish that those countries that have signed onto this UNESCO law would consult with Colombia and find out how lucky they are having not signed. Spain virtually told Colombia thanks for finding the San Jose for us, now we will help take all the treasure that we stole from South America back. Colombia promptly reminded Spain that they did not sign on. Spain lobbied every country in South America to get them to sign. Why do I run into Spanish Archaeologists(spies) working in permit departments? Spain has no shame. Why don't they claim their wrecks with tons of mercury on board? Maybe the UNESCO office in France will go bankrupt because of their high salaried desk jockeys and the stopping of funding from the US and others."
Consider Spain's fishing practices as something of a cultural tattletale: https://www.icij.org/investigations/looting-the-seas-ii/

and here is something of a complete (humorous) guide to present day Spanish culture. https://www.justlanded.com/english/Spain/Spain-Guide/Culture/The-Spaniard

 

[ropesfish]

UPDATE:
Correction - Argentina is a UNESCO signatory as are new signatories Costa Rica, Kuwait and Micronesia.

Here's the site with the updated list: Conventions

The "Underwater Cultural Heritage" portion of the UNESCO site: Bureau of States Parties | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

A link to the actual document: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001260/126065e.pdf

 

[Salvor6]

In 1992 my company, Global Research & Salvage LLC was contacted by the Mozambique ambassador to investigate Portugese shipwrecks in their country. The wrecks were being looted by local fishermen. We went there to meet with the Minister of Culture in Dec. 1992 and were granted a permit to excavate shipwrecks in Mozambique. the Portugese archaeologists Filipe Castro and Alexandre Montinero went ballistic with protests to no avail. Two weeks later a Saudi prince bought all the leases in Mozambique for $500,000. After two years of doing nothing the Moz govt. gave the leases to Arquanauticas. They worked the area around Isla de Mozambique, site of a fort built in 1536, for one year and found numerous wrecks including one wreck that had a silver astrolabe, sold at auction for $250,000. Mozambique is not a signatory to the UNESCO Convention and is still open for business to commercial salvage companies. There are several wrecks off the Moz coast that are worth billions that have not been found. One in particular is a Portugese wreck that carried 10,000 Portugese cruzados in gold coins lost off the Sofala Provence. In 1672 during the Spanish Inquisition the Spaniards invaded Portugal and melted all the Portugese cruzados. Two known surviving Portugese gold cruzados from that era were sold at auction in 1972 for one million dollars each.

 

[A2coins]

Great post love this kinda stuff

 

[ropesfish]

Current list as of 5/27/2019
[h=1]Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. Paris, 2 November 2001.[SUP]1[/SUP][/h]

	States	Group	Date of deposit of instrument	Type of instrument
	Albania	II	19/03/2009	Ratification
	Algeria	Vb	26/02/2015	Ratification
	Antigua and Barbuda	III	25/04/2013	Ratification
	Argentina	III	19/07/2010	Ratification
	Bahrain	Vb	07/03/2014	Ratification
	Barbados	III	02/10/2008	Acceptance
	Belgium	I	05/08/2013	Ratification
	Benin	Va	04/08/2011	Ratification
	Bolivia (Plurinational State of)	III	24/02/2017	Ratification
	Bosnia and Herzegovina	II	22/04/2009	Ratification
	Bulgaria	II	06/10/2003	Ratification
	Cabo Verde	Va	26/03/2019	Ratification
	Cambodia	IV	24/11/2007	Ratification
	Costa Rica	III	27/04/2018	Ratification
	Croatia	II	01/12/2004	Ratification
	Cuba	III	26/05/2008	Ratification
	Democratic Republic of the Congo	Va	28/09/2010	Ratification
	Ecuador	III	01/12/2006	Ratification
	Egypt	Vb	30/08/2017	Ratification
	France	I	07/02/2013	Ratification
	Gabon	Va	01/02/2010	Acceptance
	Ghana	Va	20/01/2016	Ratification
	Grenada	III	15/01/2009	Ratification
	Guatemala	III	03/11/2015	Ratification
	Guinea-Bissau	Va	07/03/2016	Acceptance
	Guyana	III	28/04/2014	Ratification
	Haiti	III	09/11/2009	Ratification
	Honduras	III	23/07/2010	Ratification
	Hungary	II	19/03/2014	Ratification
	Iran (Islamic Republic of)	IV	16/06/2009	Ratification
	Italy	I	08/01/2010	Ratification
	Jamaica	III	09/08/2011	Ratification
	Jordan	Vb	02/12/2009	Ratification
	Kuwait	Vb	30/05/2017	Ratification
	Lebanon	Vb	08/01/2007	Acceptance
	Libya	Vb	23/06/2005	Ratification
	Lithuania	II	12/06/2006	Ratification
	Madagascar	Va	19/01/2015	Ratification
	Mexico	III	05/07/2006	Ratification
	Micronesia (Federated States of)	IV	19/04/2018	Ratification
	Montenegro	II	18/07/2008	Ratification
	Morocco	Vb	20/06/2011	Ratification
	Namibia	Va	09/03/2011	Ratification
	Nigeria	Va	21/10/2005	Ratification
	Palestine	Vb	08/12/2011	Ratification
	Panama	III	20/05/2003	Ratification
	Paraguay	III	07/09/2006	Ratification
	Portugal	I	21/09/2006	Ratification
	Romania	II	31/07/2007	Acceptance
	Saint Kitts and Nevis	III	03/12/2009	Ratification
	Saint Lucia	III	01/02/2007	Ratification
	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	III	08/11/2010	Ratification
	Saudi Arabia	Vb	13/11/2015	Ratification
	Slovakia	II	11/03/2009	Ratification
	Slovenia	II	18/09/2008	Ratification
	South Africa	Va	12/05/2015	Acceptance
	Spain	I	06/06/2005	Ratification
	Togo	Va	07/06/2013	Ratification
	Trinidad and Tobago	III	27/07/2010	Ratification
	Tunisia	Vb	15/01/2009	Ratification
	Ukraine	II	27/12/2006	Ratification

 

[Marine Archaeology Int.]

Glad to see that Bahamas is not part of the list... I just reviewed their updated Shipwreck Law and noticed that they have also turned into a two-phases permit process (a permit for search and another one for recovery). Colombia is the same way (as I believe is Florida). The concept has some merit: "how can a permit be granted on something that has not been found yet?", they would argue. But things change quickly after the fact; if not, ask MAC, the English team that found the San Jose.

 

[enrada]

What private shipwreck search group would only be interested in searching for a wreck if they were not interested in recovering it. Once the sight is found it would be almost impossible to keep the location private. I can imagine a wreck being found and needing almost immediate recovery to secure the sight and artifacts from interlopers. Maybe in the case of an Admiralty Arrest. Finder may then take another 6 to 12 months or never to acquire a recovery permit once the Gov Archies know the location. I see no positive benefit to a two part permit process as GME might attest to. Read article in "Live Science" Nov 6 2018. "Did a conspiracy rob these treasure hunters-"

 

[Boatlode]

What private shipwreck search group would only be interested in searching for a wreck if they were not interested in recovering it. Once the sight is found it would be almost impossible to keep the location private. I can imagine a wreck being found and needing almost immediate recovery to secure the sight and artifacts from interlopers. Maybe in the case of an Admiralty Arrest. Finder may then take another 6 to 12 months or never to acquire a recovery permit once the Gov Archies know the location. I see no positive benefit to a two part permit process as GME might attest to. Read article in "Live Science" Nov 6 2018. "Did a conspiracy rob these treasure hunters-"

Two part permitting is corrupt as hell. .gov is just using honest salvage companies to do the exploration for them.

 

[Alexandre]

Not true.In 1992, I was still a biology teacher and an amateur diver, I only went this road in 1995.

Mozambique has stopped all TH activities and will sign the UNESCO convention.

In 1992 my company, Global Research & Salvage LLC was contacted by the Mozambique ambassador to investigate Portugese shipwrecks in their country. The wrecks were being looted by local fishermen. We went there to meet with the Minister of Culture in Dec. 1992 and were granted a permit to excavate shipwrecks in Mozambique. the Portugese archaeologists Filipe Castro and Alexandre Montinero went ballistic with protests to no avail. Two weeks later a Saudi prince bought all the leases in Mozambique for $500,000. After two years of doing nothing the Moz govt. gave the leases to Arquanauticas. They worked the area around Isla de Mozambique, site of a fort built in 1536, for one year and found numerous wrecks including one wreck that had a silver astrolabe, sold at auction for $250,000. Mozambique is not a signatory to the UNESCO Convention and is still open for business to commercial salvage companies. There are several wrecks off the Moz coast that are worth billions that have not been found. One in particular is a Portugese wreck that carried 10,000 Portugese cruzados in gold coins lost off the Sofala Provence. In 1672 during the Spanish Inquisition the Spaniards invaded Portugal and melted all the Portugese cruzados. Two known surviving Portugese gold cruzados from that era were sold at auction in 1972 for one million dollars each.

 

[whydahdiver]

Massachusetts also has a 2 part permit process and for the recon portion the applicant must present some evidence, even documentary that the requested search area contains at least 1 site. I just went through this with a guy requesting a search permit for an area that had been under permit about 10 years ago. The applicant tried to use this fact as evidence to justify him getting his own permit but was not successful, the area almost abuts the Whydah site BTW.


Whydahdiver

 

[enrada]

What is the down side of issuing a search and salvage permit at the same time? What does the Gov think that any Th'er could possibly use the salvage permit for before actually finding the shipwreck. Maybe off the Florida coast where you might use the salvage part to recover something that was launched from Cape Canaveral.
Just another roadblock implemented by the Archies to stop, hinder or cause more expense for the treasure hunter!

 

[whydahdiver]

You only get the recovery permit after proving you have found something and elaborating on recovery plans including curation of finds and financial ability to pull it all off.

WD

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

XAOS, post by our rules or dont post.

 

[ropesfish]

Not true.In 1992, I was still a biology teacher and an amateur diver, I only went this road in 1995.

Mozambique has stopped all TH activities and will sign the UNESCO convention.

Alexandre.. this question is in absolute seriousness.
What is the advantage to a country ...more specifically, the citizens of a country...to signing and ratifying the UNESCO treaty?

 

[Alexandre]

Alexandre.. this question is in absolute seriousness.
What is the advantage to a country ...more specifically, the citizens of a country...to signing and ratifying the UNESCO treaty?

Well, for starters, it means that no TH will be able to "inspire" national legislators to produce TH legislation, where private people will benefit from the sale of public owned heritage, which will be auctioned by privates, for privates, with sites being destroyed in the process.

 

[Darren in NC]

Alexandre, that is a sad perspective. There are good treasure hunters and non-profits, and there are bad treasure hunters and non-profits. Museums, books, and traveling exhibits have done more to educate the public on maritime history than any academic publication from private firms or non-profits. Underwater archaeology was developed as a discipline on the backs of private firms long before the non-profit sector began to appreciate it as a valid discipline. Rather than punish the bad apples, and allow the good to thrive, you have demonized the entire industry that gave birth to your trade. Attached is an example of bad practice from the non-profit sector. No grids or careful scrutiny of artifacts. Just a crane digging from a barge to remove an obstruction previously shown to be a historic wreck (from a private firm). Note on page 4 how they used a crane bucket to find the cannon, and plop in on the barge with "a loud boom." Shall we now ban all state archaeologist for such destruction of cultural heritage?

 

[Alexandre]

Oh sure, that was bad practice. As was the ill famous use of propwash blowers over the La Belle.

But these are two different problems: treasure hunting AND bad archaeology.

Now, for something new: show me examples of proper, documented, archaeological work done by treasure hunters: site plans, conservation, publications...

 

[Salvor6]

Now, for something new: show me examples of proper, documented, archaeological work done by treasure hunters: site plans, conservation, publications...

The Atocha comes to mind. A museum built to house the artifacts, a state of the art conservation lab built just for Atocha artifacts, More than 3 books written, hundreds of publications available to the public, etc.

Another one is the Whydah. Not one single coin or artifact from the Whydah has been sold, a museum built, conservation lab, traveling exhibit. Much more exciting than the Peppercorn Wreck. Tell me, how many peppercorns are on exhibit?