| UNESCO Cultural Activities Worldwide |
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Protection of African Underwater Cultural Heritage
The ocean along the west coast of Africa is especially rich in underwater cultural heritage. Many shipwrecks provide testimony to the various periods and aspects of the continent’s history; the cruelty of the slave trade, the ferocity of wars or the peaceful exchange and intercultural dialogue between faraway regions. |
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| However, the looting of this underwater cultural heritage and the destruction of its context are increasing rapidly and threaten to deprive humanity of this heritage. Improvements in diving technology have made the sites more accessible and, consequently, more vulnerable. The main objectives of the Brazzaville Regional Conference are: to promote the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage among UNESCO Member States in the region; consider the necessity of a legal and practical protection of such heritage; and provide a forum for the exchange of national experiences.
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