Croatia

Title	Zadar: international seminar on Underwater Cultural Heritage (Zadar, 1-4 October 2009)
Status	Completed
Objectives	To present and share good practices on the protection, management, and promotion of underwater cultural heritage, with special attention to the implementation of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage (2001) To promote the ratification of the UNESCO 2001 Convention by a larger number of countries; To promote the activities of ICUA - recently recognised as UNESCO Centre cat. II - in its functions of an independent institution responsible for the protection of underwater heritage with special focus on the Adriatic and Mediterranean basin.
Activities	The support offered to the organisation of the seminar is part of the activities promoted by UNESCO Venice Office for the enhancement of cultural heritage as a factor of dialogue and sustainable development in South-Eastern Europe. Within this framework, the seminar also aimed at promoting ICUA as regional centre of excellence in its specific field of action, in agreement with the joint Declaration approved by the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Cultural Heritage in South-Eastern Europe. Participants in the meeting were distinguished experts and representatives from a large number of European, South-East European, and Mediterranean countries, with the aim at presenting and exchanging respective knowledge and experiences, as well as discussing proposals for the future work of ICUA as a regional centre of excellence for promotion of underwater archaeology and cultural heritage. The meeting was concluded with the approval of a Joint Statement for the enhancement of international cooperation in the field of underwater cultural heritage.
Implementing agency	International Centre for Underwater Archaeology (ICUA)