The Unesco Convention for the protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage (Paris, 2001)

At the beginning of October 2016 55 states have ratified this convention.  That means ten more since the ratification by Belgium in August 2013. It’s still a long way towards universal ratification/implementation of this convention with only three states ratifying per year. Universal ratification is without doubt the best and most sustainable way of protecting this vulnerable heritage regardless its location. Two sea areas in the world show concentrations of ratifications: the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. The North Sea on the other hand is still underrepresented with ratifications (only France and Belgium).