Scientific and Commemorative Event for the Naval Battles of World War

[Guest UNESCO 2001 Convention]

The 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I will be commemorated in 2014. From that year on, the submerged heritage dating back to the period of 1914-1918 will begin to come under the scope of the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, the most important international treaty on submerged cultural heritage. To mark this anniversary, the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body of the Convention has recommended the organization of a scientific and commemorative event highlighting the extensive underwater heritage from this period, while also remembering the human costs of World War I.

The Scientific and Commemorative Event for the Naval Battles of World War I will take place from the 26th to the 28th of June, in the Provincial Courthouse of Bruges in Belgium. This event will bring together experts (historians and underwater archaeologists) from all over the world, and some of the main topics to be discussed are the historical importance of World War I underwater heritage and its contributions to the historical research on World War I, the many dangers (natural and man-made) threatening World War I underwater heritage and the ways in which the scientific community can help to stem the destruction of these sites.

If any of you wish to receive more information on the above, or are working on publications, articles or research projects that you want to present on this Commemorative and Scientific Event, or if you are interested in joining our international research network dedicated to World War I underwater heritage, do not hesitate to contact Ms Rebecca Castermans (Tel.: +33 1 45 68 44 52, e-mail: r.castermans@unesco.org ), who is working for the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, under the supervision of Programme Specialist Ms Ulrike Guérin (Tel.: + 33 1 45 68 44 06, Fax: + 33 1 45 68 55 96, e-mail: u.guerin@unesco.org ). For more information, you can visit our website at http://www.unesco.org/new/en/culture/themes/underwater-cultural-heritage/world-war-i/.

Thank you for your attention, and we hope to hear from you soon.

[keithmroberts]

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Keith