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Titanic Shipwreck Protected Site/UN

Just a century ago the majestic British oceanliner Titanic struck an iceberg and sank in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic. Now as the date of one of maritime history's most infamous disasters approaches, comes word that UNESCO is affording special legal protection to the wreck site off Newfoundland.

The Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage applies to shipwrecks over 100 years old--RMS Titanic sank on the night of 14 April 1912. To this day, the still nearly innacessable site at 12,000 feet underwater remains a draw for explorers and treasure hunters.

“The sinking of the Titanic is anchored in the memory of humanity and I am pleased that this site can now be protected by the UNESCO convention,” stated the Paris-based UN agency's Director General Irina Bokova.

UNESCO's Bokova added, “But there are thousands of other shipwrecks that need safeguarding as well,” she added. “All of them are archaeological sites of scientific and historical value. They are also the memory of human tragedy that should be treated with respect. We do not tolerate the plundering of cultural sites on land, and the same should be true for our sunken heritage.”

Though the final resting place of RMS Titanic lies in international waters,
State parties to the UNESCO convention "can outlaw the destruction, pillage, sale and dispersion of objects found at the site."