Doha, Qatar: Qatar Museums’ Archaeology Department, in collaboration with the Unesco Regional Office in Doha, will mark the inaugural International Day for Underwater Cultural Heritage with a public lecture held at the Museum of Islamic Art Auditorium on August 21, 2025.
The lecture, titled “Frameworks and Mechanisms of International Cooperation under the 2001 Unesco Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage,” will be presented by Dr. Ouafa Slimane, Expert Field Archaeologist.
The lecture represents a historic occasion, as August 21 was officially adopted by the States Parties to the 2001 Convention earlier this year in Paris as the International Day for Underwater Cultural Heritage. This milestone reflects the global commitment to raising awareness of the importance of safeguarding underwater cultural heritage for future generations.
Dr. Slimane’s lecture will provide an overview of the 2001 Convention’s frameworks and cooperation mechanisms, and illustrate how they have strengthened international collaboration among states, parties, institutions, and researchers worldwide. She will also present successful case studies that demonstrate the impact of international cooperation in protecting underwater cultural heritage.
The lecture will emphasise the Convention’s role in shaping sustainable practices and fostering cultural exchange, highlighting how partnerships across borders are essential to protecting underwater cultural heritage as an integral part of humanity’s collective legacy.The lecture reflects Qatar Museums’ ongoing commitment to make cultural heritage accessible and engaging for the community, while also strengthening Qatar’s role as a regional leader in heritage protection and international cooperation. This year, Qatar Museums is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
This milestone year is marked by Evolution Nation—an 18-month campaign celebrating Qatar’s cultural journey, from the founding of the National Museum to the thriving ecosystem of institutions we proudly represent today.
