In the framework of the celebrations in honour of the 10th Anniversary of the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage in the Oriental Republic of Uruguay and as part of the inauguration of the photo exhibition on underwater cultural heritage "Secrets under the Waves" in Bastión del Carmen, Colonia del Sacramento, an international conference was held on the protection of the underwater cultural heritage in the region.

The event, organised by the UNESCO Offices in Havana and Montevideo, counted with the presentation made by archaeologist Tatiana Villegas, specialist from the UNESCO Regional Office for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean on "The Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage and the challenges facing international cooperation". The opening session was inaugurated by the Under Secretary of Education and Culture of Uruguay, Ms María Simon, and the Mayor of Colonia del Sacramento, Mr Walter Zimmer. Also attending the conference were Frédéric Vacheron, Culture specialist at the UNESCO Office in Montevideo, who moderated the round table "Safeguarding the Underwater Cultural Heritage".

The participants in the conference included experts from the neighbouring Republic of Argentina, Dr. Dolores Elkin, director of the Underwater Archaeology Program (PROAS) of the National Institute of Anthropology and Latin American Thought of Argentina's Secretariat of Culture, and Arch. Javier García Cano, representative of the General Direction of Heritage and the Institute of History of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. Dr. Elkin spoke of Argentina's experience from the government's standpoint on doing research and safeguarding the underwater cultural heritage. In turn, Arch. García Cano presented the Zencity-Puerto Madero Wreck Project, a sunken ship discovered during the renovation of the Puerto Madero housing complex, whose research and excavation counted with the support of this port development programme. Uruguayan underwater archaeology experts analysed the current situation in their country and presented significant discoveries made both in Bahía de Colonia and at the meeting point of several rivers and seas shared by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Participants discussed the possibility that the city of Colonia del Sacramento, declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1995, be the meeting place for the training courses in underwater archaeology in view of its ideally suited geographic location.

In the framework of the celebrations in honour of the 10th Anniversary of the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage in the Oriental Republic of Uruguay and as part of the inauguration of the photo exhibition on underwater cultural heritage "Secrets under the Waves" in Bastión del Carmen, Colonia del Sacramento, an international conference was held on the protection of the underwater cultural heritage in the region.

The event, organised by the UNESCO Offices in Havana and Montevideo, counted with the presentation made by archaeologist Tatiana Villegas, specialist from the UNESCO Regional Office for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean on "The Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage and the challenges facing international cooperation". The opening session was inaugurated by the Under Secretary of Education and Culture of Uruguay, Ms María Simon, and the Mayor of Colonia del Sacramento, Mr Walter Zimmer. Also attending the conference were Frédéric Vacheron, Culture specialist at the UNESCO Office in Montevideo, who moderated the round table "Safeguarding the Underwater Cultural Heritage".

The participants in the conference included experts from the neighbouring Republic of Argentina, Dr. Dolores Elkin, director of the Underwater Archaeology Program (PROAS) of the National Institute of Anthropology and Latin American Thought of Argentina's Secretariat of Culture, and Arch. Javier García Cano, representative of the General Direction of Heritage and the Institute of History of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. Dr. Elkin spoke of Argentina's experience from the government's standpoint on doing research and safeguarding the underwater cultural heritage. In turn, Arch. García Cano presented the Zencity-Puerto Madero Wreck Project, a sunken ship discovered during the renovation of the Puerto Madero housing complex, whose research and excavation counted with the support of this port development programme. Uruguayan underwater archaeology experts analysed the current situation in their country and presented significant discoveries made both in Bahía de Colonia and at the meeting point of several rivers and seas shared by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Participants discussed the possibility that the city of Colonia del Sacramento, declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1995, be the meeting place for the training courses in underwater archaeology in view of its ideally suited geographic location.

In the framework of the celebrations in honour of the 10th Anniversary of the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage in the Oriental Republic of Uruguay and as part of the inauguration of the photo exhibition on underwater cultural heritage "Secrets under the Waves" in Bastión del Carmen, Colonia del Sacramento, an international conference was held on the protection of the underwater cultural heritage in the region.

The event, organised by the UNESCO Offices in Havana and Montevideo, counted with the presentation made by archaeologist Tatiana Villegas, specialist from the UNESCO Regional Office for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean on "The Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage and the challenges facing international cooperation". The opening session was inaugurated by the Under Secretary of Education and Culture of Uruguay, Ms María Simon, and the Mayor of Colonia del Sacramento, Mr Walter Zimmer. Also attending the conference were Frédéric Vacheron, Culture specialist at the UNESCO Office in Montevideo, who moderated the round table "Safeguarding the Underwater Cultural Heritage".

The participants in the conference included experts from the neighbouring Republic of Argentina, Dr. Dolores Elkin, director of the Underwater Archaeology Program (PROAS) of the National Institute of Anthropology and Latin American Thought of Argentina's Secretariat of Culture, and Arch. Javier García Cano, representative of the General Direction of Heritage and the Institute of History of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. Dr. Elkin spoke of Argentina's experience from the government's standpoint on doing research and safeguarding the underwater cultural heritage. In turn, Arch. García Cano presented the Zencity-Puerto Madero Wreck Project, a sunken ship discovered during the renovation of the Puerto Madero housing complex, whose research and excavation counted with the support of this port development programme. Uruguayan underwater archaeology experts analysed the current situation in their country and presented significant discoveries made both in Bahía de Colonia and at the meeting point of several rivers and seas shared by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Participants discussed the possibility that the city of Colonia del Sacramento, declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1995, be the meeting place for the training courses in underwater archaeology in view of its ideally suited geographic location.