The International Committee on the Underwater Cultural Heritage (ICUCH) works to promote the protection, research, and responsible management of underwater cultural heritage worldwide.
As a scientific committee of ICOMOS, ICUCH supports the development of ethical and professional standards, advocates for the implementation of the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, and fosters international cooperation among experts, institutions, and communities to safeguard humanity’s shared submerged heritage for present and future generations.
ICUCH envisions a world in which underwater cultural heritage is universally recognised as a vital part of our common heritage, protected through international collaboration, scientific excellence, and cultural respect. By advancing knowledge, building professional capacity, and promoting public awareness, ICUCH aspires to ensure that underwater cultural sites are valued, preserved, and integrated into broader cultural heritage.
Through international cooperation, research,
and advocacy, ICUCH works to ensure that underwater cultural heritage is safeguarded, studied, and passed on to future generations as a source of knowledge, identity, and inspiration.
ICUCH also serves as an advisory body to the Secretariat of the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. ICUCH contributed significantly to the
development of the Convention. Its 1996 ICOMOS Charter on the Protection and Management of the Underwater Cultural Heritage formed the basis for the Annex of the Convention, which
outlines best practices for underwater archaeological activities. The 2001 Convention promotes the safeguarding of submerged heritage for the benefit of humanity.
ICUCH serves not only as an advisory body to the Secretariat of the 2001 UNESCO Convention, but also as a source of expert guidance to any government, institution, or organisation confronted with issues relating to submerged cultural heritage. ICUCH regularly responds to requests for assistance from both States Parties and non-States Parties. In certain circumstances, it may also provide guidance proactively, particularly where the protection of underwater cultural heritage is at risk or where independent expertise is deemed necessary to support responsible and informed decision-making.
The International Committee on the Underwater Cultural Heritage (ICUCH) was founded in 1991 by ICOMOS Australia to promote international cooperation in the protection and management of underwater cultural heritage and to advise the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) on issues related to underwater cultural heritage around the world.
The founding president of ICUCH was Graeme Henderson, then Director of the Western Australia Maritime Museum in Fremantle. The committee is composed of international experts in underwater cultural heritage, representing the five geographical regions as defined by UNESCO (Africa, the Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North America, and Latin America and the Caribbean). The first mandate of ICUCH was to develop a charter to guide the management and protection of underwater cultural resources.
