The Scientific and Technical Advisory Body
The Scientific and Technical Advisory Body (STAB) of the 2001 Convention is a subsidiary body of 14 experts elected by the Meeting of States Parties that provides advice to the Meeting in scientific and technical matters. It assesses compliance with the Rules of the Annex to the Convention in all activities directed at underwater cultural heritage, and also contributes to capacity building, to the development of national action plans, and to guiding States Parties in the implementation process.
The STAB generally meets once a year but also operates through missions and electronic procedures. These meetings bring together Advisory Body members, representatives of accredited NGOs, and the Secretariat. Experts qualified to assist the Advisory Body may be invited to speak.
At meetings, the recommendations of the advisory body shall be adopted by consensus of its members or, in the absence of consensus, by a majority vote.
Fifteenth Meeting of the STAB
In the framework of the 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, UNESCO organizes the following meeting in presential with online access at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris:
Fifteenth meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body (STAB) (4-5 June 2024 Room XI, Fontenoy Building, from 10 am to 1 pm and 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm).
Working documents
- Election of the Bureau
- Adoption of the agenda
- STAB missions
UCH/24/15.STAB/5 : EN | FR
- Date and Venue of the 16th meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body
Fourteenth Meeting of the STAB
In the framework of the 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, UNESCO organizes following meeting in presential with online access at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris:
- Fourteenth meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body (STAB) (15 June 2023 Room XI, Fontenoy Building, from 10 am to 1 pm and 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm).
Recommendations
UCH/23/14.STAB/6 : EN/FR
Working documents
- Election of the Bureau
- Adoption of the agenda
- Date and Venue of the 15th meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body
First extraordinary Meeting of the STAB
The first extraordinary Meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body (STAB) of the 2001 Convention took place on 28 October 2019. This session, organized in the framework of the 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, took place in Algiers, Algeria.
During this extraordinary meeting, STAB members has discussed the remaining items of the agenda of its tenth meeting.
Resolutions:
Report:
Working Documents:
Adoption of Agenda
- Best Practice
- Date and Venue of the next Meeting :
Information Documents:
- Election of the Bureau
UCH/19/1.EXT.STAB/INF2.1 EN | FR
- Report on STAB Mission on Guatemala
Thirteenth Meeting of the STAB
The 13th meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body (STAB) to the Meeting of States Parties to the 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage will take place on 6 (PM) and 7 May (AM) 2022 in a hybrid format, online and in presence in Tunis, Tunisia.
The STAB is a subsidiary body of 14 experts elected by the Meeting of States Parties, which meets once a year and provides advice to the Meeting in scientific and technical matters.
The 13th Meeting, preceded by the 4th Coordination Committee Meeting for the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage at the Skerki Bank also held in Tunis, will discuss, among others, the STAB missions to Guatemala and Paraguay, and the follow-up to the Ocean Decade and Ocean Conference.
Recommendations
UCH/22/13.STAB/14 : EN | FR
Working documents
- Election of the Bureau
(UCH/22/13.STAB/1) EN | FR
- Adoption of the Agenda
(UCH/22/13.STAB/2) EN | FR
- Secretariat Report
(UCH/22/13.STAB/3) EN | FR
- STAB missions
(UCH/22/13.STAB/4) EN | FR
- Report STAB Missions to Guatemala
(UCH/22/13.STAB/INF.4) EN | FR
- Ocean Decade and Ocean Conference
(UCH/22/13.STAB/5) EN | FR
- Planning of Working Meeting on Operational Guidelines (No document)
- Date and venue of the fourteenth meeting of the STAB
(UCH/22/13.STAB/7) EN | FR
Statutes of the Advisory Body (2019): EN | FR
Rules of Procedure of the Meeting of States Parties (2019): EN | FR
Twelfth Meeting of the STAB
The Twelfth meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body to the 2001 Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage took place online on 10 June 2021 via the Zoom platform.
Final document
- Final report
Recommendations
Working documents
- Election of the Bureau
- Adoption of the Agenda
- Report of the Secretariat
- STAB missions
- Distinction to personalities who have largely contributed to the promotion of underwater cultural heritage
- Date and venue of the thirteenth meeting of the STAB
Eleventh Meeting of the STAB
The 11th meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body (STAB) was held online on September 14 and 15, 2020 from 3 pm to 6 pm (CET Paris).
The meeting included a discussion on the STAB missions to Guatemala and Paraguay, followed by a reflection on the concepts of the 2001 Convention. A discussion on the evaluation of nominations of Examples of Best Practices concerning underwater cultural heritage also took place. Finally, the work was concluded with some considerations on the evaluation of the 2001 Convention by the IOS.
Working Documents:
Election of the Bureau
Adoption of the Agenda
Secretariat Report
STAB Missions
Clarification of concepts of the 2001 Convention
Distinction to personalities who have largely contributed to the promotion of underwater cultural heritage
Technical Evaluation of Best Practices Examples
Recommendations from the Evaluation of the 2001 Convention
Date and venue of the next meeting
Resolutions and Recommendations
Final Report
Tenth Meeting of the STAB
The tenth meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body (STAB) of the 2001 Convention took place on 21 June 2019 at the Fontenoy Building of the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.
The main point in the agenda for the 10th session of the STAB, was the election of the bureau members of the STAB.
Working Documents :
Election of the Bureau
Adoption of Agenda
Best Practice
Date and Venue of the next Meeting
Ninth Meeting of the STAB
The ninth meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body (STAB) of the 2001 Convention took place on 24 April 2018 at UNESCO Headquarters (Room IV). An Exchange Day for Permanent Delegations and international experts preceded the meeting on the morning of 23 April 2018 and deal with “Heritage and our Oceans”. A meeting between the NGO’s and the STAB took place in the afternoon of that same day.
A closed meeting for members of the UNESCO Unitwin University Network for Underwater Archaeology took place on 25-26 April 2018 in Room VI of the UNESCO Fontenoy Building.
The main issues discussed during the 9th session of the STAB were :
- Report on STAB Missions (Bulgaria and Guatemala)
- Best Practices on Access to Underwater Cultural Heritage (Update and New Proposals)
- Contribution to the International Decade of Ocean Science and Ocean Fora
- Implementation of worldwide heritage protection
Documents:
23 April 2018, 10am - 1pm
23 April 2018, 3pm - 6pm
24 April 2018, 10am - 1pm and 3pm -6pm
- STAB Working Documents:
- Election of the Bureau EN | FR
- Adoption of the Agenda EN | FR
- Secretariat’s Report (no document)
- Report on STAB Missions EN |FR
- Best Practices – Update and New Proposals EN | FR
- Contribution to the International Decade of Ocean Science and Ocean Fora EN | FR
- Implementation of Active Personality Principle EN | FR
- Date and Venue of next meeting EN | FR
Eight Meeting of the STAB
The eighth meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body took place at UNESCO Headquarters on 1 June, 2017. It was preceded by an Exchange Session for Permanent Delegations on Underwater Cultural Heritage on 29 May on the contribution of the 2001 Convention to the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (Agenda EN | FR); and the 6th session of the Meeting of the States Parties to the 2001 Convention on 30 and 31 May.
Working Documents
- Election of Bureau UCH/17/8.STAB/1
EN|FR - Adoption of Agenda UCH/17/8.STAB/2
EN|FR - Secretariat’s Report, Oral Report
- Security on STAB Missions and UNESCO workshops in its assistance to States, Oral Report EN|FR
- Best Practices EN|FR
- Cooperation with NGOs
Other issues - Date and Venue of the next Meeting of the Advisory Body UCH/17/8.STAB/8
EN|FR
Seventh Meeting of the STAB
The seventh meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body took place at UNESCO Headquarters, in Room IV, Fontenoy Building, on 10 May 2016, 10 am - 6 pm. It was preceded by an Exchange Session for Permanent Delegations on Underwater Cultural Heritage and a Working Meeting for States Parties to the 2001 Convention on a new Ratification and Implementation Strategy on 09 May 2016. A meeting of the UNESCO UNITWIN Underwater Archaeology Network followed on 11 and 12 May 2016.
Exchange Session for Permanent Delegations
An Exchange Session for Permanent Delegations on Underwater Cultural Heritage took place at UNESCO Headquarters, in Room II, Fontenoy Building, on 09 May 2016 (10 am - 1 pm).
The session served to inspire discussions on the future of the 2001 Convention and a new strategy related to it. It featured lectures on the results of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body’s missions to Madagascar and Panama, as well as on other UNESCO underwater cultural heritage projects such as the Heritage for Peace and Reconciliation Project on Underwater Cultural Heritage from World War I. The information meeting was open to all interested delegates.
Working Meeting for States Parties to the 2001 Convention
A Working Meeting for States Parties to the 2001 Convention on a new Ratification and Implementation Strategy took place at UNESCO Headquarters, in Room II, Fontenoy Building, on 09 May 2016 (3 - 6 pm).
The fifth session of the Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, which took place on 28 and 29 April 2015, asked the Secretariat to draft a revised ratification and implementation strategy on the basis of the document UCH/15/5.MSP/5Rev, as well as on recommendations made during a preceding Exchange Day that encompassed regional group discussions. It was also asked to consult with the States Parties on this matter by means of a working meeting at UNESCO, and to submit the revised document for consideration to the next session of the Meeting of States Parties. The working meeting incorporates this consultation. States not yet party to the 2001 Convention can participate as observers.
Meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body
The seventh meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body took place at UNESCO Headquarters, in Room VI, Fontenoy Building, on 10 May 2016, 10 am - 6 pm.
The two days of meetings - with the exchange session, the working meeting and the seventh meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body- had interpretation services in English, French and Spanish.
Working Documents
- Election of Bureau UCH/16/7.STAB/1 EN /FR
- Adoption of Agenda UCH/16/7.STAB/2 EN /FR
- Secretariat’s Report Oral Report
- Madagascar Mission Report, Chief of Mission: Michel L’Hour, Oral Report accompanied by written Report UCH/16/7.STAB/4 EN /FR
- Panama Mission Report, Chief of Mission: Xavier Nieto Prieto, Oral Report accompanied by written Report, UCH/16/7.STAB/5 EN / FR / ES
- Pillaging of Underwater Cultural Heritage by Leisure Divers and Outreach in that regard, UCH/16/7.STAB/6 EN / FR
- Date and Venue of the next Meeting of the Advisory Body UCH/16/7.STAB/7 EN / FR
Final Report UCH/16/7.STAB/8 EN / FR
UNITWIN Meeting
A meeting of the UNESCO UNITWIN Underwater Archaeology Network took place at UNESCO Headquarters, in Room VI, Fontenoy Building, on 11 and 12 May.
The UNITWIN Network for Underwater Archaeology aims to increase capacity in the participating countries by connecting in a formal way universities and professional training institutions working in the field of underwater archaeology.
Sixth Meeting of the STAB
The sixth meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body took place at UNESCO Headquarters, in Room XIV, Bonvin building (1 rue Miollis, Paris), on 30 April 2015.
It followed the Fifth Meeting of States Parties (27-29 April).
Working Documents
- Election of the Bureau
UCH/15/6.STAB/1 EN | FR - Adoption of the Agenda
UCH/15/6.STAB/2 EN | FR - Secretariat Report
(no document) - Change of Statutes
UCH/15/6.STAB/4 EN | FR - Operational Assistance to States Parties
UCH/15/6.STAB/5 EN | FR - Access to Heritage
UCH/15/6.STAB/6 EN | FR - Date and Venue of the next Meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body (STAB)
UCH/15/6.STAB/7 EN | FR
Fifth Meeting of the STAB
The fifth meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body took place at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, on 11 June 2014.
It was be preceded by an information session for Permanent Delegations on the 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage by the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body, on 10 June.
The Advisory Body adopted the following resolutions and recommendations:
- to foster public access to underwater cultural heritage, either in situ, in land-based museums or through virtual access, by promoting Best Practice initiatives;
- to encourage further cooperation and collaboration among NGOs and between NGOs and the Advisory Body;
- to ensure proper protection of WWII underwater cultural heritage;
- to strengthen protection of underwater cultural heritage in recognized World Heritage Sites where part of the site is submerged;
- to apply the Rules of the Convention as best practice, even in states which have not yet ratified the Convention;
- to take active and not only passive measures to implement the Convention and to protect underwater sites.
Working Documents of the Advisory Body meeting :
- Item 1: Election of Chairperson, Vice-Chairpersons and Adoption of the Agenda. EN | FR
- Item 2: Best Practices regarding Public Access to Underwater Cultural Heritage Sites. EN | FR
- Item 3: NGO Cooperation. EN | FR
- Item 4: Education and Awareness-Raising Activities. EN | FR
- Item 5: Date and venue of the next meeting of the Advisory Body. EN | FR
Fourth Meeting of the STAB
The fourth meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body took place at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, on 30 May 2013.
It was preceded by an Exchange Day on Underwater Cultural Heritage on 27 May, focusing on the issue of presenting underwater heritage to the general public.
The main topics discussed by the Advisory Body were education, awareness raising and the issue of how underwater cultural heritage can contribute to sustainable development. Ten officially accredited NGOs participated in the debates as observers. Upon conclusion, the Advisory Body adopted the following resolutions and recommendations:
- to promote and encourage sustainable development projects by creating a Best Practice list of initiatives fostering public access to underwater cultural heritage;
- to increase cooperation and collaboration with accredited NGOs, who contribute their invaluable field experience and play a crucial role in disseminating the ethical principles enshrined in the 2001 Convention;
- to incorporate underwater cultural heritage in school curricula, and to prepare a first draft of common education material.
Final report and recommendations of the fourth meeting: EN | FR
The working documents of the meeting were :
- Item 1: Election of the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson(s) and the Adoption of the Agenda.
EN | FR - Item 2 : Presenting and interpreting underwater sites for the general public
EN | FR - Item 3 : Discussion on NGO cooperation.
EN | FR - Item 4 : Discussion on education and awareness-raising activities
EN | FR - Item 5 : Date and venue of the next meeting of the Advisory Body
EN | FR
Third Meeting of the STAB
The third meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body took place at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, on 19 April 2012.
The main issues discussed were:
- the importance of NGO accreditation and increased involvement of NGOs in the Advisory Body meetings;
- the identification and monitoring of emerging issues within underwater cultural heritage;
- the incorporation of underwater cultural heritage in educational initiatives;
- the importance of promoting virtual access initiatives in underwater cultural heritage;
- the international harmonization of licensing for scientific divers;
- the elaboration of guidelines for inventorying of underwater cultural heritage;
- the conclusion that the de-accessioning of artifacts from underwater cultural heritage in order to finance excavations is not consistent with the Rules of the 2001 Convention.
Final report and recommendations of the third meeting: EN | FR
Second Meeting of the STAB
The second meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body took place at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, on 15 April 2011.
After discussing the most significant factors negatively affecting underwater cultural heritage, and assessing the current status of underwater archaeology, the Advisory Body adopted the following resolutions and recommendations:
- to raise awareness of underwater cultural heritage among development and resource extraction projects, fishers, divers and other stakeholders;
- to facilitate mapping and inventorying of underwater cultural heritage in order to allow for the elaboration of predictive models;
- to make underwater cultural heritage impact assessments a mandatory prerequisite for development and resource extraction projects, and to impose sanctions if this requirement is not met;
- to establish protected areas where fishing is not allowed, and to introduce physical protection measures in order to mitigate the damage caused by fishing and trawling;
- to establish competent national authorities and to provide these authorities, as well as research and capacity-building initiatives with the necessary funds to ensure their proper functioning.
Final report and recommendations of the second meeting: EN | FR
First Meeting of the STAB
The first Meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body to the 2001 Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage took place at the Spanish National Museum for Maritime Archaeology (ARQUA) in Cartagena, Spain, on 14 and 15 June 2010.
After lively discussion the Advisory Body adopted the following resolutions and recommendations: EN, FR, ES, AR, RU, ZH
- the creation of a UNESCO electronic form for the transfer of notifications in the framework of the State cooperation mechanism of the Convention;
- to not accredit any NGO for cooperation until NGO accreditation criteria have been adopted;
- to foster the adaptation of national legislation protecting underwater cultural heritage and cooperation in this regard, in particular in small Island States;
- to collect and disseminate accounts of experience with public access and awareness projects;
- to elaborate guidelines for the establishment of national inventories;
- to elaborate ethical standards for divers;
- to provide assistance to States Parties to build capacity in the area of underwater cultural heritage protection;
- to elaborate a study on the benefit of the valorization of underwater cultural heritage;
- to elaborate a study on the most significant factors negatively affecting the conservation of underwater cultural heritage and the identification of remedial measures;
- to recommend the urgent recruitment of additional permanent staff for the UNESCO Secretariat for the Convention and the allocation of additional resources to facilitate the communication with the State Parties and to ensure the effective implementation of the Convention.
Final report and recommendations of the first meeting: EN, FR, ES, AR, RU, ZH
Current Members of the Advisory Body
Emad Khalil (Egypt) - Chairperson
Emad Khalil is a Professor of Maritime Archaeology at the Alexandria University, Egypt, and the Director of Alexandria and Mediterranean Research Center at the Alexandria Library. Professor Khalil is a UNESCO Chair-Holder in Underwater Cultural Heritage and the founding Director of the Alexandria Centre for Maritime Archaeology & Underwater Cultural Heritage. He is a member and a former President of the ICOMOS International Committee for Underwater Cultural Heritage (ICUCH), and a member of the Scientific Committee of the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS).
Professor Khalil is a world-renowned expert in Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage with over 25 years of experience in research and education. He has been involved in maritime and underwater archaeology since the early nineties. Since then, he has contributed to several archaeological projects in Egypt, including, the Pharos Excavation, the Sadana Island Shipwreck Excavation, the Lake Mareotis Research Project, the Northwest Coast Shipwreck Survey, the Marsa Bagoush Research Project, the Red Sea Wrecks at Risk Project, and the Umluj Shipwreck Excavation in KSA. Professor Khalil is recognized for his contributions to capacity building in aspect of underwater cultural heritage in the Arab Region.
María Helena Barba Meinecke (Mexico) - Vice Chairperson
Helena Barba Meinecke is a Mexican archaeologist who graduated from the National School of Anthropology and History of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (ENAH) and from the Master in Nautical and Submarine Archaeology of the International School of Doctorate in Marine Studies (EIDEMAR), University of Cadiz (UCA), Spain. She is Research Professor C (INAH).
She was Head of the Projects Department of the National Coordination of Archaeology of INAH between 1994 and 2001. She participated as Field Chief in several archaeological projects developed in the state of Campeche, México.
Since 2003 she is a researcher in charge of the Office of Underwater Archaeology of the Yucatan Peninsula of the sub-direction of Underwater Archaeology (SAS) of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), Mexico. Its mission is the protection, conservation, research, dissemination, and enhancement of underwater cultural heritage.
Kalin Dimitrov (Bulgaria) - Rapporteur
Kalin Dimitrov is an archaeologist with scientific interest in the development of ancient societies, settlement patterns, early exchanges and sea faring along the Western Black sea coast. Holding a PhD, he is since 2016 the director of the Centre of Underwaterarchaeology of the Ministry of Culture of Bulgaria in Sozopol.
Kalin Dimitrov was director of numerous underwater and terrestrial archaeological projects in Bulgaria among which are the international project “Maritime Archaeology Project (M.A.P.) Black Sea” and the excavation of the sea pile dwelling sites of Ropotamo and Sozopol. Since 2010, he is a researcher at the National Archaeological Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
Oumar Badiane (Senegal)
Oumar Badiane is the Artistic and Cooperation Director of the Grand Théâtre national (Dakar, Senegal). From 2020 to 2022 he was the Chief of Intangible Heritage section in the Ministry of Culture, where he notably developed the scientific and cultural project of the division and shared his expertise with project holders. Prior to his current position, he was the Director of Ziguinchor and Kolda cultural regional centre from 2015 to 2019.
Barbara Davidde Petriaggi (Italy)
Barbara Davidde Petriaggi is Director of the Soprintendenza nazionale per il patrimonio culturale subacqueo - National Superintendency for Underwater Cultural Heritage -Ministry of Culture (MiC -Italy) since the half of December 2020. Since February 2021 she is also Director ad interim of the Soprintendenza per i beni archeologici artisti e storici per le province di Brindisi e Lecce (Lecce). (MiC- Italy).
Since 2001 she is visiting professor at the Roma Tre University, where she teaches underwater archaeology. Since 2001, she focused her research activities on the in situ restoration of underwater cultural heritage as a researcher in the Restoring Underwater Project. Since July 2011 she is designer and scientific coordinator of several national and international projects for the development of technologies for underwater archaeological research and for the conservation and enhancement of underwater cultural heritage.
Robert Domzal(Poland)
Robert Domzal, Maritime archaeologist and historian, is directing the National Maritime Museum, Gdansk, Poland, since 2019., he obtained PhD at the University of Gdansk in 2007. From 2009 to 2014, he was Chairman of the Working Group on the Coastal Culture and Maritime Heritage of the Baltic Sea States. From 2009 to 2015, he was a member of Executive Council of the International Congress of Maritime Museums (ICMM), working also as a regional correspondent. He is the co-organizer of Baltic Sea Heritage Forums and speaker on many international conferences on maritime heritage protection. He also worked on the Action Plan of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. Currently member of the Baltic Region Heritage Committee, Council of Museums, and ICOM in Poland.
Dolores Elkin (Argentina)
Dolores Elkin is an Argentinean archaeologist (PhD 1996) with a tenure research position at the country´s National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET). She is based at the National Institute of Anthropology (Ministry of Culture), where she is in charge of the Underwater Archaeology Program. She is Professor at the University of Buenos Aires, contributing to the development of the speciality both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, but she has also conducted many outreach initiatives within the sport diving community and the general public. She has been in charge of several research and management projects, most of them involving shipwrecks from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, the main one being the 18th Century sloop of war HMS Swift. All those projects have taken place in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. She has more than 100 publications including books, scientific papers and book chapters, and publications for the general public. She has organized and participated in many national and international scientific meetings and is affiliated with several organizations.
Ahmed Gadhoum (Tunisia)
Ahmed Gadhoum is a researcher in Underwater Archaeology at the National Institute of Heritage in Tunis, Tunisia. He is also an associated researcher at the Camille Jullian Centre, in the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), in Aix-en-Provence, France. Respectively from 2011 and 2010 to date. Since 2014, he is the administrative and scientific manager of the archaeological sites of the Governorate of Sousse, located in the eastern coast of Tunisia. Finally, Ahmed Gadhoum has been involved in diverse archaeological operations in Tunisia, Italy, France, and Malta, as well as numerous projects to raise awareness and protect underwater cultural heritage.
Toufik Hamoum (Algeria)
Toufik Hamoum is a university professor. He teaches at the Institute of Archaeology and the University of Algiers. He is a member of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Council (STAB) of the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the World's Underwater Cultural Heritage. Mr. Hamoum is also a member of the UNESCO International Committee for the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage on the Skerki Banks. In addition, he is a cultural heritage expert with ICESCO and the WHC-UNESCO World Heritage Centre. He is President of the University Habilitation Commission for the Humanities and Arts, at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
Lesa La Grange (South Africa)
Lesa la Grange is the archaeologist in charge of the South African Heritage Resources Agency’s Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage (MUCH) unit, which is legally mandated with coordination of the management of underwater cultural heritage resources in South Africa, including their identification, regulation, and promotion. She has an MPhil in archaeology from the University of Cape Town (2015), a commercial diving license, certificate in Heritage Resources Management, and has been working in archaeological heritage resources management for over 10 years. Lesa has worked with various institutions as a lecturer, consultant, and archaeological collections assistant, and was elected to the STAB in 2019. Her current research focus is on the management of tidal fish traps, digital techniques for recording heritage sites and objects, and policy development to ensure effective regulatory frameworks for MUCH protection.
Mirta Giselda Ida Linero Baroni (Panama)
Mirta is anthropologist with a specialty in Archaeology and Ethnohistory. Magister Scientiarum in Conservation and Restoration of Monuments. Doctor in History of Architecture. Diplomate in Nautical and Naval History and is a specialist in Foresight and Strategy.
Director of Archeology and the research program at the Panama Viejo Archaeological Site - including the curatorship of the museum and the ruins - since 2010. Editor of Canto Rodado, journal specialized in Cultural Heritage since 2014. She is a professor of Archaeology at the University of Panama and the Central University of Venezuela.
She belongs to the International Council of Archaeology and Monuments (ICAHM) of UNESCO, ICOMOS of Panama, since 2014, on the Board for the period 2019-2022, and is part of the Network of Museums and Visitor Centers of Panama. On the scientific committee of the Ibero-American Colonial Urbanism Research Network, since 2014.
Marnix Pieters (Belgium)
Marnix Pieters is an archaeologist (with a degree in history and soil science), specializing during his PhD in the material living world of medieval and modern fishing societies in the North Sea. He has been part of the Flanders Heritage Agency, since 1992, first as a scientific collaborator, and from 2015 as archaeological research director.
Marnix Pieters has been involved in numerous archaeological operations such as, between 1992 and 2005, the large-scale excavation project of a medieval fishing settlement in Walraversijde (Ostend, Belgium) that led to the opening in 2020 of the museum-site devoted to the medieval fishing folk. Since 2013, he teaches at the Free University of Brussels (VUB) a master course on coastal and maritime archaeology.
He contributed to the ratification of the 2001 Convention in 2013 by Belgium and to the elaboration of the federal laws in 2014 and 2021 for the protection of underwater cultural heritage.
Maili Roio (Estonia)
Since 2019, Maili Roio is an advisor on Underwater Archaeology at the Estonian National Heritage Board, where she previously held the position of Senior Inspector of Underwater Heritage from 2012 to 2019. Since 2022, she is the Chairperson of the Baltic Sea Region Working Groupe on Underwater Cultural Heritage.
Holder of a Research master’s degree in Protection and Management of Underwater Cultural Heritage from the University of Tartu, obtained in 2007, she is involved in various projects funded by organizations such as the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, Horizon 2020, and EU’s Interreg programme Estonia-Latvia program.
José Leonel Ziesse Altán (Guatemala)
José Leonel Ziesse Altán has been involved in numerous activities, including archaeological research, conservation projects, management of cultural and natural heritage sites, and academic teaching. From 2022 to 2023, he was General Administrator of the Archaeological Park of Tayasal, Guatemala, responsible for controlling and monitoring the strategic, technical, financial and administrative activities of the park. From 2018 to 2022, he was the administrative Coordinator of the Yaxha-Nakum-Naranjo national park.
José Leonel Ziesse Altán obtained a PhD. in Archaeology from the School of History of the San Carlos University of Guatemala.
Former members
- Emmanuel Adeniyi Odekanyin (Nigeria)
- Mr Abdoul Aziz Guissé (Senegal)
- Abner Al Berda (Panama)
- Francisco Alves (Portugal)
- Augustus Babajide Ajibola (Nigeria)
- Ouafa Ben Slimane (Tunisia)
- Adote Blim Blivi (Togo)
- Hugo Eliecer Bonilla Mendoza (Panama)
- Milton Eric Branford (Saint Lucia)
- Constantin Chera (Romania)
- Pilar Luna Erreguerena (Mexico)
- Carmen García Rivera (Spain)
- Andrej Gaspari (Slovenia)
- Azzedine Karra (Morocco)
- Michel L'Hour (France)
- Jasen Mesic (Croatia)
- Xavier Nieto Prieto (Spain)
- Serhiy Oleksandrovych Voronov (Ukraine)
- Ovidio Juan Ortega Pereyra (Cuba)
- Kalin Stoynev Porozhnov (Bulgaria)
- Seyed Hossein Sadat Meidani (Islamic Republic of Iran)
- Auron Tare (Albania)
- Hossein Tofighian (Islamic Republic of Iran)
- Annalisa Zarattini (Italy)
- Vladas Zulkus (Lithuania)
The Missions of the STAB
