Under water cultural heritage

Chapter 1: Exploration and Preservation

* Submerged Cultural Sites: opening a time capsule David Nutley
* The Impact of Commercial Exploitation on the Preservation of Underwater Cultural Heritage Tatiana Villegas Zamora
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In Situ Preservation: 'the preferred option' Martijn Manders
* Conservation of Underwater Cultural Heritage: characteristics and new technologies Jean-Bernard Memet

Chapter 2: Why Create an International Convention?

* How and Why will Underwater Cultural Heritage Benefit from the 2001 Convention? Thijs J. Maarleveld
* The 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage: advantages and challenges Ulrike Koschtial
* Safeguarding the Underwater Cultural Heritage of Brazil: legal protection and public archaeology Gilson Rambelli

Chapter 3: New Frontiers, New Concepts

* Underwater Archaeological Trails Francisco J. S. Alves
* A Resource for Sustainable Development: the case of Croatia Jasen Mesic
* Underwater Archaeological Exploration of the Mayan Cenotes Luis Alberto Martos Lopez

The Big Read promotes literacy during Global Action Week, 20-26 April

Global Action Week 2009 (April 20 to 26) focuses on youth and adult literacy and life-long learning to raise awareness about the global literacy challenge.

Worldwide, some 776 million adults lack literacy skills, 75 million children are out of school and millions more leave school early without acquiring basic literacy and numeracy skills.

UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize 2009 to be awarded posthumously to Sri Lankan journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge

• © Reporters sans Frontiers

The late Sri Lankan journalist and editor of the Sunday Leader Lasantha Wickrematunge, who was assassinated on 8 January this year, has been named laureate of the 2009 UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize. The Director-General of UNESCO Koïchiro Matsuura today endorsed the choice of the Prize’s jury of 14 professional journalists from all over the world.

“Jury members were moved to an almost unanimous choice by a man who was clearly conscious of the dangers he faced but nevertheless chose to speak out, even beyond his grave,” said Joe Thloloe, President of the jury and Press Ombudsman of the Press Council of South Africa, referring to the laureate’s posthumous editorial in which he voiced his commitment for press freedom at the risk of his life. “Lasantha Wickrematunge continues to inspire journalists around the world,” added Mr Thloloe.

Mr Matsuura welcomed the choice of Mr Wickrematunge: “In awarding the 2009 World Press Freedom Prize to a committed journalist who opposed war, UNESCO, along with media professionals from all over the world, recognizes the important role that freedom of expression can play in fostering mutual understanding and reconciliation, the theme of this year’s World Press Freedom Day celebration.”

The Director-General will present the World Press Freedom Prize in a ceremony on May 3, World Press Freedom Day, which UNESCO will celebrate this year in Doha, capital of Qatar.

Born in 1958, Lasantha Wickrematunge trained as a lawyer and was a member of the Sri Lankan Bar Association. While working as an attorney-at-law, he began working as an investigative reporter for the Sun/Davasa newspaper.

In 1994, Mr Wickrematunge started the Sunday Leader with his brother and used the publication to campaign vigorously against the war between Sri Lanka’s army and Tamil rebels.

In 2000, Mr Wickrematunge secured a court victory which led to the abolition of the law that allowed the government to curb the media. In November 2007, the Sunday Leader was damaged in an arson attack that Mr Wickrematunge said resembled a “commando action.”

Mr Wickrematunge expected to be assassinated and went so far as to write an editorial for publication after his death. It appeared in the Sunday Leader on 11 January 2009, three days after he had been murdered. In his editorial, Mr Wickrematunge voiced his commitment and readiness to die for press freedom: “[…] there is a calling that is yet above high office, fame, lucre and security. It is the call of conscience.”

Created in 1997 by UNESCO’s Executive Board, the Press Freedom Prize is awarded annually to honour the work of an individual or an organization defending or promoting freedom of expression anywhere in the world, especially if this action puts the individual’s life at risk. Candidates are proposed by UNESCO Member States, and regional or international organizations that defend and promote freedom of expression.

Since its creation, the US $25,000 prize - financed by the Cano and Ottaway family foundations, and by JP/Politiken Newspaper LTD - has been awarded to the following laureates: Lydia Cacho (Mexico, 2008), Anna Politkovskaya (Russian Federation, 2007), May Chidiac (Lebanon, 2006), Cheng Yizhong, (China, 2005), Raúl Rivero (Cuba, 2004), Amira Hass (Israel, 2003), Geoffrey Nyarota (Zimbabwe, 2002), U Win Tin (Myanmar, 2001), Nizar Nayyouf (Syria, 2000), Jesus Blancornelas (Mexico, 1999), Christina Anyanwu (Nigeria, 1998), Gao Yu (China, 1997).

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in Paris for CEB meeting hosted by UNESCO

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon came to Paris to attend the annual meeting of the CEB (UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination), hosted by UNESCO on 4-5 April, following his participation in the G-20 Summit in London.

On his first visit to UNESCO since his election to the head of the UN, the Secretary-General addressed delegations and staff at an information meeting at Headquarters on 3 April. The session was webcast to all UNESCO Field Offices.

On 6-7 April, Ban Ki-Moon will be in Istanbul (Turkey) for the second Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, aimed at advancing intercultural understanding.

UNESCO Director-General to G-20: “Invest in education”

Koïchiro Matsuura, the Director-General of UNESCO, has written to the leaders of the Group of 20 nations, meeting in London this week, to plead the cause of education.

Mr Matsuura said world leaders must tackle systemic and financial problems at the same time as the fundamental issues that determine long-term economic development, such as education. The Director-General stressed that “Expenditure for education is one of the most productive investments that a country can make. […] Research shows that by extending the average period spent at school by one year, per capita GDP is increased by 4 to 6 %. By injecting resources into education now, not only would we stimulate economic recovery, but we would also contribute to stronger growth in the future and guarantee global stability in the long term. This is why UNESCO proposes including education on the agendas of all international meetings aimed at resolving the current crisis.”

The Director-General added, “Investing in science, innovation and new technologies, including green technologies, is also fundamental for stimulating economic growth while contributing to a sustainable environment. UNESCO is already working with many countries, especially in Africa, to develop scientific policies and build human and institutional capacities in order to promote innovation.”

“Responding to the global crisis, which is of unprecedented magnitude and complexity, will require unfailing cooperation and international solidarity. The organizations in the United Nations System, including UNESCO, of which all the G20 countries are members, have the ability to undertake coordinated and strategic action,” said Mr Matsuura, stressing that “multilateralism will be vital for finding common solutions to the current challenges.”

The Director-General continued, “The crisis risks wiping out the gains of recent years - attained after major efforts - especially in developing countries, and compromising progress towards the development goals set by everyone, including the Millennium Development Goals. With the population of Africa expected to double in the next 35 years, cutting investments allocated to the reduction of poverty now is the best way to cause social disaster. […] I exhort the G20 to urge aid donors to reverse the current trend of decreasing aid commitments and disbursements.”