International agreements

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Australia shares underwater cultural heritage with many countries.

We have agreements to help protect:

  • other countries’ shipwrecks and submerged planes in our waters
  • Australian defence vessels and planes, merchant vessels and passenger ships lost in other countries’ waters.

In 2024, we entered into an agreement with the Department of Defence. This is to help protect and manage Australian defence underwater heritage outside our waters.

We also have formal agreements with other countries to help protect shared underwater heritage.

Agreements can be in the form of a:

  • memorandum of understanding (MoU)
  • memorandum of agreement (MoA)
  • technical agreement (TA).

They help:

  • grow our research relationships
  • better protect underwater heritage sites in Australian waters and around the world.

UNESCO 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage

The UNESCO 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage came into force on 2 January 2009. The Australian Government is considering ratifying the Convention.

Current agreements

Bulgaria

On 25 July 2024, we entered into an MoU with Bulgaria. It has a focus on exchange and capacity building, enabling:

  • Australian practitioners and students to join in underwater archaeology in Bulgaria
  • Bulgarian conservators and archaeologists to further their experience in Australian facilities.

Memorandum of understanding between Australia and Bulgaria (PDF 3.88 MB)
Memorandum of understanding between Australia and Bulgaria (DOCX 64 KB)

Indonesia

In 2015, we entered into an MoU with the:

  • Australian National Maritime Museum
  • National Research and Innovation Agency of the Republic of Indonesia (BRIN), formerly the Indonesian National Center of Archaeology (ARKENAS).

The MoU supports collaboration on underwater:

  • archaeological research
  • heritage management.

It supported our work to document the HMAS Perth (I) site located in Indonesian waters.

Memorandum of understanding between Australia and Indonesia (PDF 1.58 MB) ​
Memorandum of understanding between Australia and Indonesia (DOCX 42 KB)

Netherlands

On 15 September 2017, we entered into an MoU with the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands.

The MoU supersedes prior management arrangements between our countries. These were in our 1972 agreement on 4 Old Dutch shipwrecks in Australian waters. They are the:

  • Zuytdorp (1712)
  • Batavia (1629)
  • Vergulde Draeck, also known as the Gilt Dragon (1656)
  • Zeewyk (1727).

The MoU supports collaboration between our countries to manage and research:

  • the 4 Old Dutch shipwrecks
  • any future Old Dutch shipwrecks discovered in Australian waters.

This benefits both Australia and the Netherlands.

The MoU also supports:

  • joint projects
  • capacity building
  • improved public awareness of our underwater heritage.

Memorandum of understanding between Australia and the Netherlands 2017 (PDF 681 KB)
Memorandum of understanding between Australia and the Netherlands 2017 (DOCX 35 KB)

Papua New Guinea

On 24 October 2019, we entered into an MoU with Papua New Guinea’s:

  • Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA)
  • National Museum and Art Gallery (NMAG).

NMAG and CEPA share responsibility for protecting underwater heritage in PNG’s waters.

The MoU supports collaboration on underwater:

  • archaeological research
  • heritage management.

It supports joint projects, like protecting the wreck of Australia’s sovereign vessel HMAS AE1 in PNG’s waters.

Activities implemented under the MoU must align with:

Memorandum of understanding between Papua New Guinea and Australia (PDF 919 KB)
Memorandum of understanding between Papua New Guinea and Australia (DOCX 41 KB)

Philippines

On 7 August 2020, we entered into an MoU with the National Museum of the Philippines.

It supports collaboration on underwater:

  • archaeological research
  • heritage management.

Under the MoU, we will:

  • work together to protect shared heritage in each of our waters
  • collaborate on other projects.

Activities implemented under the MoU must align with:

Memorandum of understanding between Australia and the Philippines (PDF 2.24 MB)
Memorandum of understanding between Australia and the Philippines (DOCX 37 KB)

Solomon Islands

On 21 January 2022, we entered into an MoU with the:

  • Government of the Solomon Islands Ministry of Culture and Tourism
  • Solomon Islands National Museum.

The MoU supports collaboration on underwater:

  • archaeological research
  • cultural heritage management.

Under the MoU, we will:

  • work together to protect shared heritage in each of our waters
  • collaborate on other projects.

Activities implemented under the MoU must align with the:

Memorandum of understanding between Australia and the Solomon Islands (PDF 283 KB)
Memorandum of understanding between Australia and the Solomon Islands (DOCX 84 KB)

United States of America

In 2010, we entered into an MoA with the:

  • US Department of Commerce
  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
  • National Ocean Service and Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.

The MoA promotes cooperation on:

  • underwater heritage resource management activities
  • underwater archaeological research
  • education and resource protection efforts in the Pacific.

The MoA was re-signed in 2022. It runs until 2027.

Memorandum of Arrangement between Australia and the USA (PDF 253 KB) ​
Memorandum of Arrangement between Australia and the USA (PDF 84 KB) ​