Recovery of cultural heritage objects from the sea in light of the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the protection of underwater cultural heritage

In this article, the author argues that the 2001 UNESCO Convention introduced for the first time in the evolution of the law of the sea more radical solutions aimed at the protection of underwater heritage. One of them is a far-reaching limitation of the legal possibility to recover cultural heritage objects from international waters. According to the Convention’s provisions, such an option will constitute merely an exception to the general principle of their preservation in situ, i.e. the place where they have been located for at least 100 years. Recovery is acceptable only on the condition that leaving these objects in the sea will not fulfill the objectives of the Convention and will bring about detrimental effects in practice. It is also possible for the purpose of scientific studies. In all such cases, the methods and techniques used must be as non-destructive as possible and recovered objects shall be deposited, conserved and managed in a manner that ensures their long-term future preservation. At the legal level, they receive the special status of res extra commercium, which means they shall not be traded, sold, bought or bartered as commercial goods. The author ends his article concluding that measures of prevention and sanctions adopted in the Convention also demonstrate its strength and positive development, especially in comparison with the previous legal situation. Their enforcement provides a real chance that the principles of the Convention will be followed properly by States to ensure and strengthen the protection of underwater cultural heritage and will help stop the unauthorized exploitation of historical wrecks.

Keywords: 2001 UNESCO Convention, underwater cultural heritage, wrecks, underwater exploration

Streszczenie: Przyjęta w 2001 r. Konwencja UNESCO o ochronie podwodnego dziedzictwa kulturowego jest pierwszym instrumentem prawa międzynarodowego, który wprowadził skuteczne rozwiązania ochrony tego dziedzictwa. Jednym z głównych rozwiązań jest daleko idące ograniczenie legalnego wydobywania zabytków z wód międzynarodowych, które stanowi jedynie wyjątek od zasady zachowania ich in situ, to znaczy w miejscu lokalizacji przez ostatnich 100 lat. Wydobycie konkretnego obiektu jest dopuszczalne wyłącznie w przypadku, gdy pozostawienie go na miejscu nie spełniałoby wymogów Konwencji i przyniosło szkodliwe skutki, albo jest uzasadnione względami naukowymi. W każdym takim przypadku zastosowane metody wydobycia muszą mieć charakter niedestrukcyjny, a wydobyte obiekty winny mieć zapewnione przechowywanie, konserwację i zarządzanie gwarantujące ich długotrwałe zachowanie. Na płaszczyźnie prawnej uzyskują one status res extra commercium, czyli nie mogą być przedmiotem obrotu komercyjnego. We wnioskach podkreślono, że środki ochrony i instrumenty ich realizacji przyjęte w Konwencji są mocną jej stroną, szczególnie w porównaniu z wcześniejszymi aktami prawnymi. Stosowanie ich w praktyce daje natomiast szansę spełnienia zasad określonych w Konwencji, wzmocni ochronę podwodnego dziedzictwa kulturowego i będzie pomocne w ograniczaniu nielegalnego wydobywania zabytków z morza.

In this article, the author argues that the 2001 UNESCO Convention introduced for the first time in the evolution of the law of the sea more radical solutions aimed at the protection of underwater heritage. One of them is a far-reaching limitation of the legal possibility to recover cultural heritage objects from international waters. According to the Convention’s provisions, such an option will constitute merely an exception to the general principle of their preservation in situ, i.e. the place where they have been located for at least 100 years. Recovery is acceptable only on the condition that leaving these objects in the sea will not fulfill the objectives of the Convention and will bring about detrimental effects in practice. It is also possible for the purpose of scientific studies. In all such cases, the methods and techniques used must be as non-destructive as possible and recovered objects shall be deposited, conserved and managed in a manner that ensures their long-term future preservation. At the legal level, they receive the special status of res extra commercium, which means they shall not be traded, sold, bought or bartered as commercial goods. The author ends his article concluding that measures of prevention and sanctions adopted in the Convention also demonstrate its strength and positive development, especially in comparison with the previous legal situation. Their enforcement provides a real chance that the principles of the Convention will be followed properly by States to ensure and strengthen the protection of underwater cultural heritage and will help stop the unauthorized exploitation of historical wrecks.