Page 16 - Manual for Activities directed at the Underwater Cultural Heritage

Legal context
 © UNESCO. UNESCO's headquarters in Paris, France.
The “Rules concerning acti- vities directed at underwater cultural heritage” (hereinafter "the Rules") contain practical stan- dards and ethical directives for archaeological work. They regulate the preparation of an archaeological project, the competences and qua- lifications of professionals under- taking interventions, the funding and the documentation of the work undertaken.
The 36 rules set out regulations for the responsible management of submerged heritage, be it located in maritime or in inland waters. They present a directly applicable operation scheme and are a major reference document in the field of underwater archaeology.
These Rules form an integral part of a broader legal instrument, the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage (2001). This confers a special legal status on them. Any State that ratifies the Convention1 also becomes legally bound by the Rules. States which are not State Parties to the Convention may, however, also declare to respect them as best practice.
Historic Development of
the Rules
Since 1956, UNESCO’s “Recommendation on International Principles Applicable to Archaeologi- cal Excavations” has applied to underwater sites situated in territorial waters. However, there remained an urgent need for securing the protection of cultural heritage located in international waters
1 The status of ratifications can be verified at www.unesco.org/ en/underwater-cultural-heritage.
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Legal context