By Jeneva Wright, Vice Chair, ACUA
From June 16-20, I represented the Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology (ACUA) and the Society for Historical Archaeology (SHA) at the UNESCO 10th Meeting of the Member State Parties (MSPs) and Scientific and Technical Advisory Body (STAB) to the 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage statutory meetings in Paris. The MSP delegates meet every other year; select representatives elected to serve on STAB meet annually. Also present annually are representatives of the Accredited NGOs, who are charged with supporting and advancing the Convention and its MSPs, as well as providing subject matter expertise. Both SHA and ACUA are accredited NGOs to the 2001 Convention. All the participants have roles in implementing and breathing life into the Convention.
The first two days of these meetings centered on the MSP 10th Meeting. Highlights included the welcoming of seven additional UNESCO Member States who ratified the 2001 Convention: The Republic of Congo, Gambia, Iraq, Mauritania, Qatar, Sao Tome and Principe, Yemen, and, as of June 19, 2025, Sierra Leone, bringing the total number of States Parties to 80. The meeting also formally designated new Best Practices as evidenced by specific field projects in Spain and France, and renewed previously designated Best Practices in Mexico, Portugal, and Spain. It also accredited and reaccredited the affiliated NGOs, including SHA and ACUA. The NGOs hosted a special side event for the Member States to offer increased access to subject matter expertise, provide case examples of specific issues, and introduce the work of individual NGO actors.
The third day was dedicated to the annual STAB meeting, where five representatives of MSPs across three geographic groups led discussions, again supported by NGOs, on reviews of recent STAB missions and reporting from UNITWIN, ICUA, and NGO chairs. A significant portion of the meeting was centered on drafting resolution language on encouraging MSPs to increase their efforts on climate change response, including impact assessment, adaptation, and mitigation, as well as increased collaborations with strategic partners. This work was informed by the recently-released UNESCO White Paper: Underwater Cultural Heritage, Climate Change: Adaptation and Mitigation, an effort led by Colin Breen of Ulster University.
This thematic focus on climate change and UCH was further enhanced by a day-long Scientific Conference on UCH and the Challenges of Climate Change (recorded webcast available here). Speakers from around the world shared their projects, observations, and lessons learned. The majority of these focused on coastal cultural landscapes, the impact of sea level rise, documentation strategies, and interdisciplinary efforts. It was immensely encouraging to see the interest and recognition of this topic from practitioners around the world; many participants also acknowledged the need to develop frameworks and collaborations to progress from impact observation and analysis towards adaptation actions and robust response.
On the last day, time was split between the UNITWIN meeting and the Accredited NGO meeting. Within the former, key discussions areas included capacity building, specifically looking at ways to support early career professionals and the development of joint courses to expand the reach of UCH instruction. The Accredited NGO meeting included a review of many of the topics described above, as well as brief updates and presentations from all members in attendance.
ACUA and SHA’s continued role in these meetings is vital, not only in implementing the 2001 Convention, but also in collaborating with global practitioners, finding areas of partnership, and offering support, friendship, and cooperation as we work to advance the protection of underwater cultural heritage worldwide.
Categorised in: Deep Thoughts