Sunken Secrets of the Caribbean Sea:
Protecting Underwater Cultural Heritage
Protecting Underwater Cultural Heritage
WHERE: Kingston, JamaicaÂ
WHEN: 11-13 March 2026
The initiative
The UNESCO 2001 Convention on Underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH) Accredited Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) in collaboration with UNESCO, the UNESCO Jamaica National Commission, the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Institute of Jamaica (IOJ), the National Museum Jamaica, the Jamaica National Heritage Trust, Kinston Creative, the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), and the University of West Indies Mona (UWI Mona) with the support of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) are organized a stakeholder outreach event in Kingston, Jamaica, that took place 11-13 March 2026, with the goal of sensitizing the public, cultural officials, local law enforcement, and other
stakeholders in the Caribbean to the looting and trafficking of underwater cultural heritage
while advocating their alternative environmental, cultural and economic value.
Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology
ACUA
Centro Investigador del Sistema AcuÃfero de Quintana Roo A.C.
CINDAQ
Photographs by Ashb Media.
Day 1 at the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport (11 March 2026)
Day 2 at The University of West Indies Mona and at Port Royal (12 March 2026)
Day 3: The Mural Unveiling and the Symposium at the Institute of Jamaica (13 March 2026)
Yuri Peshkov (Head of Culture Programme, UNESCO Regional Office, Caribbean) and Garry Momber (Chair of the Accredited NGOs to the 2001 Convention) talk about the Initiative at CVM Sunrise on Wednesday 18 March 2026.
The Unveiling
East Street, Kingston
Friday 13 March 2026
The Speeches at the Unveiling
David Brown
Director Policy and Research National Cultural & Creative Industries Council Facilitator for the 2003 UNESCO Convention
Garry Momber
Chair of the Accredited NGOs to the 2001 Convention
Minister Olivia Grance
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport
Eric Falt
Director and UNESCO Representative for the UNESCO Regional Office, Caribbean
Christopher E. Kelman
Managing Partner at Myers, Fletcher & Gordon Attonewys at Law
Doris Gross (Art District Pod Lead, Director of Kingston Creative) and
Keddan Savage (The Artist)
Patricia E. Green
Architect at Patricia E. Green Architects
Jasinth Simpson
Archaeologist
Jamaica National Heritage Trust
Can you give us an outline of how long it has taken to obtain the UNESCO Inscription of Port Royal, what it means for Jamaica, and what impact do you think it will have on the site?
Alexis McDavid
Outreach Officer-Education
National Museum Jamaica
How do you think maritime and underwater cultural heritage can help in developing the cultural identity of the people of Jamaica?
Dr Sherene James-Williamson
Head of Department/Senior Lecturer & Museum Curator
University of West Indies, Mona
How do you think maritime cultural heritage can help us understand the changing oceans and coastline?
Romaine Thomas
Artefacts Officer
National Museum of Jamaica
How can the exploration of the underwater world and maritime archaeology help us understand the history of Jamaica?
Aisha Bailey
Executive Director, Biotech R&D Institute
Director of Research, National Commission on Science and Technology (NCST)
As a freshwater ecologist can you tell us how you think UCH inland and in the open water can help inform about the conditions of the ocean and tell us about fluvial and maritime systems?
Artefacts from the Sunken City
On 12 March 2026 Ann-Marie Howard-Brown, Takiya Browne, and Carlene Smith-Watson from the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT) showcased and presented some artefacts from Port Royal.
