The Honorable Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Affairs Patricia Lourens – Philip recently returned from the South American country Peru after the country was invited to attend a UNESCO Ministerial Meeting for the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage in Latin America and the Caribbean.
This UNESCO meeting co-sponsored by the Ministry of Culture of Peru and the Government of Spain, was attended by over 20 countries, with six ministers from the Caribbean present, including Minister Lourens who was also representing the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
These professional discussions were directed at procedural aspects of documentation, ratification and implementation of the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage of 2001.
Minister Lourens made a presentation on the current status and future goals for underwater cultural heritage work on St. Maarten, including its’ relationship to preparations for a world heritage nomination in progress.
Meetings were also held by Minister Lourens and her staff, with the Netherlands Ambassador to Peru, Johan van der Werlf.
Assisting the minister as professional experts were Neville York, the head of the Department of Culture, and Dr. Jay Haviser, director of the St. Maarten Archaeological Center SIMARC.
PHOTO CUTLINE: L to R, Neville York, Minister of Education Hon. Patricia Lourens-Philip and Dr. Jay Haviser.