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ICUCH Champions Cultural Heritage in Launch of Malta Manifesto at UN Ocean Conference
15 June 2025
At the 2025 UN Ocean Conference in Nice, the International Committee on the Underwater Cultural Heritage took part in the official launch of the Malta Manifesto, a global call to action spearheaded by Project Tangaroa. Led by Lloyd’s Register Foundation, in collaboration with The Ocean Foundation and Waves Group, Project Tangaroa brings unprecedented attention to the environmental and cultural risks posed by over 8,500 potentially polluting wartime shipwrecks worldwide. The Manifesto outlines a coordinated international response to prevent ecological harm while safeguarding underwater cultural heritage.
The Malta Manifesto
Created by the Project Tangaroa coalition, The Malta Manifesto is an urgent call to action to marshal the resources and collective will to protect people and planet from catastrophic oil pollution.
A global, toxic legacy of shipwrecks containing vast quantities of oil, munitions, and other hazardous materials has been left by two World Wars. These wrecks are deteriorating towards instability, accelerated by climate impacts. Some are leaking and causing harm now.
Many of these wrecks lie close to vulnerable coastal communities, important fishing grounds, fragile marine ecosystems, marine protected areas and world heritage sites. We are entering a decade of severely heightened risk of catastrophic damage caused by oil from these wrecks – damage to natural and cultural heritage that cannot be fully remedied. The harm to human wellbeing and the economic cost will also be enormous.
The time for concerted unified action is now. As we approach the 100th anniversary of World War II in 2039, we must commit to resolving this toxic legacy of conflict. The Malta Manifesto sets out the roadmap to do so.
Download the Manifesto here
ICUCH NEWS
The ICUCH News section explores the protection, research, and celebration of underwater cultural heritage around the world. We share ideas, case studies, and insights from heritage professionals, archaeologists, and community voices working to preserve humanity’s submerged past while highlighting the importance of safeguarding underwater heritage for future generations. The views expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position of ICUCH.
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