Petition topically
Statement on the Response of the German Federal Governmenon the Brief Inquiry on the Handling of Cultural Heritage on Seabed
Never make the same mistakes twice!
Contrary to earlier expectations and aroused hopes, it is not expected that the German Federal Government of the 19th Bundestag session edeavours after the ratification of the UNESCO Convention 2001 on the protection of underwater cultural heritage, let alone the implementation into national legislation.
However, in view of a general implementation into national legislation, we would like to remind a publication recently emerged. On the basis of a fundamental regulatory content analysis of Art. 16 of the convention, the publication clarifies which legal actions the signatories should take for realisation thereon: https://t1p.de/cxvt
Backround:
On the occasion of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina’s publication of its discussion paper „Traces underwater: Research on and Protection of the Cultural Heritage in the North and Baltic Seas (2019)“, the FDP parliamentary group raised a Brief Inquiry on the Handling of Cultural Heritage on Seabed owards the German Federal Government on March 2, 2020. The answer to the president of the German Bundestag was given by the Foreign Office on March 13, 2020. At first glance, the statement “According to current state of planning, the Federal Government strives for the undersigning of the UNESCO convention on the protection of underwater heritage until the end of the year 2021” appears positive and pleasant. However, at closer look at this statement of intent,...
Petition accepted by the German Bundestag!
On 30.06.2010 the GERMAN BUNDESTAG (the chairperson of the petition committee Mrs. Kersten Steinke) informed us:
„the German Bundestag has discussed your petition and has decided on 17.06.2010:
a) to transfer the petition to the Bundesregierung – to the Department for Foreign Affairs – as a material,
b) to give the petition to the factions of the German Bundestag to notice.
The German Bundestag follows with it the decision recommendation of the petition committee (BT - printed matter 17/1992) whose explanatory statement is added.
The petition procedure is finished with the decision of the German Bundestag.“
According to our information, the decision was met unanimously. It is to be hoped that the verification by the Department for Foreign Affairs is fast concluded,
and the Bundesregierung does not wait with their decision, until other “important states like the USA, Japan, India, Russia or Brazil … recognize readiness “ “to join to the convention” sometime.
You find the link to the 3-pages text of the decision here
Press release of the VDST
More than 100 "Paten" have taken part in the clarification campaign to the UNESCO convention Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage (2001) and have collected more than 5000 signatures.
25th August, 2009 our petition was handed over to the German Bundestag for signing the UNESCO convention in 2001 in the committee on petitions in Berlin. Now the committee will check the input and asks for understanding, „ that in view of the fullness of the petitions are incoming and the careful check necessary in the isolated case, "that treatment of your input can take up longer time “ (letter from the 02.09.2009).
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The retired teacher Peter Schmidt has performed as a "Pate" from February to August, 2009 in many cultural arrangements clarification work about the situation of the underwater cultural asset and has collected more than 200 signatures for our petition. As a small recognition he received from the DEGUWA board of directors a reminiscent document.