Lourens receives UNESCO calendar with St. Maarten site

 Philipsburg- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO) Secretary General for St. Maarten National Commission Marcellia Henry has presented copies of the UNESCO Calendar on Underwater Cultural heritage, featuring the Man of War Shoal Marine Protected Area, to Culture Minister Patricia D. Lourens-Philip, Resident Archaeologist Jay Haviser and Culture Department Head Neville York.

 The Man of War Shoal Marine Protected Area, located directly outside of Great Bay’s shallow saters, is featured in the calender.

 Lourens, Haviser and york attended the UNESCO International Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage in Lima, Peru. They made a presentation about the underwater cultural heritage of St. Maarten at the conference.

 “We are therefore pleased to see that St. Maarten’s Man of War Shoal Marine Park is featured in the 2014 UNESCO International Calendar on Underwater Cultural Heritage and themed Celebrating the International Year of the Small Island Developing States” said Lourens in a press statement.

 After the conference the attendees were asked to contribute to the 2014 calendar and so a picture by Mauricio Handler was submitted to Haviser via Nature Foundation to the UNESCO conference committee. The photo is featured for the month of September.

 During the presentation ceremony, the group pointed out that they are still working towards the ratification of the UNESCO convention for the protection of Underwater Heritage.

 “I hope that this stimulates us to recognize the importance of protecting our Heritage sites on St. Maarten,” said Haviser.

 Minister Lourens thanked Mauricio Handler of the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCA) and Nature Foundation for the photo.

 The St. Maarten UNESCO office is located in Harbour View and can be reached on 543-1236 ext. 303.

THE DAILY HERALD, Friday, January 31, 2014