Legal aspects of organizing excavations by Multinational Archeological Missions Aspectos legales y organizativos de las excavaciones realizadas por las misiones arqueológicas multinacionales I. HENNING (1) University of Silesia, (Uniwersytet Śląski), Poland, [email protected] Abstract The present work shows the examples of good practices in World Heritage conservation from a legal point of view. The examples are chosen arbitrarily by the author and do not intend to cover all the intricate matter as vast as antiquity conservation all over the world. There is a strong need to find equality in obligations and duties between parties leading archeological missions: sponsors and specialists versus the right of the host country to keep the integrity of the discovered objects. Archeological excavations are led by international missions, which means that different parties must set up an agreement in order to make excavations start. There is a necessity to deal with different legal regimes and to manage to make an agreement among all the parties involved in the excavation process. The role of sponsorship and the specialists executing the works is prevailing. However, the most important issue concerning World Heritage conservation seems to be the integrity of objects being excavated, its integral parts and the uncountable value they present to the civilization. It is well proved that executing and financing parties of archeological missions often borrow or take some discovered objects as a consequence of a barter contract. This is a common practice which resulted in disagreements in the past, but on the other hand it is the only pos- sibility not to only preserve these objects, but also to present them to the public in the future. There are countries that implemented detailed procedures concerning excavations on their territory. The work proves the necessity of preparing the detailed civil contract in order to prevent parties from eventual disputes arising on the field of mutual right and obligations. Before the beginning of excavations each party needs to know its duties. The eventual advantages each party is going to get must also be carefully described. Apart from the right of the hosting country to keep its heritage integral, the author is trying to depict the right of the party sending its specialist to lead excavations, and the right of the donors or sponsors who provide fi- nancial means. The above-mentioned specific arrangements in agreements concerning excavations allow to state such contracts as belonging to the sui generis group of contracts as prove the examples of essentialia negotii in the contracts. Key words: world heritage, conservation, excavations, archeological missions, obligations, duties, benefactors, contract, Resumen El presente trabajo desarrolla prácticas concretas para proteger el Patrimonio Mundial desde el punto de vista jurídico. La autora utiliza algunos ejemplos, sin pretender abarcar toda la problemática relacionada con la pre- servación del Patrimonio Mundial. Se busca un equilibrio, tanto en los derechos como deberes de las partes que dirigen misiones arqueológicas internacionales: patrocinadores y especialistas frente a las leyes del país que re- cibe la misión, con el fin de preservar la integridad de los objetos descubiertos. Las excavaciones arqueológicas son dirigidas por las misiones internacionales, por lo que las partes deben es- tablecer acuerdos que contemplen diferentes regímenes jurídicos. El rol que cumplen los especialistas y patro- cinadores suele ser esencial. Sin embargo, la cuestión más importante en cuanto a la conservación del Patrimonio es preservar la integridad de los objetos excavados y sus componentes porque representan un valor incalculable para la humanidad. 590 Actas del Primer Congreso Internacional de Buenas Prácticas en Patrimonio Mundial:Arqueología 590-602 ISBN: 978-84-695-6782-1 I. Henning Legal aspects of organizing excavations... Está bien demostrado que las partes que dirigen y financian misiones arqueológicas frecuentemente prestan o adquieren los objetos excavados por medio de contratos de canje. Esta práctica, comúnmente empleada en el pasado, generó muchos malentendidos, pero por otro lado a veces era la única manera no sólo de preservar los objetos, sino de hacerlos accesibles al público en general. Algunos países implementaron procedimientos deta- llados en relación con las excavaciones en su territorio. Por todo esto, el trabajo demuestra la necesidad de preparar los contratos al detalle, con el fin de evitar posibles desentendimientos de las partes en cuanto a sus deberes y sus derechos. Antes de iniciar las excavaciones cada una de las partes debe conocer sus responsabilidades y deben quedar claros los eventuales beneficios que cada una de las partes pretende conseguir. Con el fin de preservar la integridad del Patrimonio, la autora se refiere a otros derechos además del propio del país donde se realiza la excavación: el de los países que envían a los es- pecialistas que dirigen la expedición y también el de los donantes y patrocinadores que ofrecen sus recursos para este fin. La experiencia de muchos años nos demuestra que estos contratos son verdaderos acuerdos “sui géneris”. Palabras clave: Patrimonio, Humanidad, preservación, excavaciones, misiones arqueológicas, deberes, respon- sabilidades, patrocinadores, contratos 1. Introduction ICOMOS (International Council for The salvation and protection of World Cul- Monuments and Sites) Charter For The Pro- tural heritage, the cultural heritage of any tection And Management Of The Archaeo- country or indigenous people is important logical Heritage (further in the text: for the international community as prove ICOMOS Charter) in Article 9 points out numerous conventions and national legisla- the need for mutual international coopera- tions that were implemented in order to cre- tion, that shall lead to create international ate conditions to the protection and mechanisms for the exchange of informa- preservation of world cultural heritage. tion and experience among professionals, as The binding acts of law are not sufficient the archaeological heritage is the common unless the proper action is taken. This can heritage of all humanity. International coo- take place only thanks to the commitment peration is therefore essential in developing of the people involved in the protection of and maintaining standards in its manage- World Cultural Heritage. Its concern is ex- ment. [1] ICOMOS Charter underlines the pressed through excavations, conservation need of mutual cooperation among the spe- works, documentation, and, by conse- cialists, exchange of knowledge and expe- quence, displaying their works and discove- riences and the necessity of sharing it . The red objects to the public, to name only the article 9 provides, as follows: most obvious ones. The best examples of ‘There is an urgent need to create inter- mutual cooperation certainly can be presen- national mechanisms for the exchange of ted as the best practices in World Heritage. information and experience among profes- Such cooperation, in order to be fruitful and sionals dealing with archaeological heri- productive, must be based upon carefully tage management. This requires the written agreement, precisely determining organization of conferences, seminars, the duties and obligation of the parties. Only workshops, etc. at global as well as regio- under this condition cooperation can be re- nal levels, and the establishment of regio- warding for all parties, as far as the World nal centers for postgraduate studies. Heritage preservation is depending on the ICOMOS, through its specialized groups, mutual actions undertaken by the proprie- should promote this aspect in its medium- tors, specialists and donors. and long-term planning. International ex- Proceedings of the First International Conference on Best 591 Practices in World Heritage: Archaeology 590-602 ISBN: 978-84-695-6782-1 I. Henning Legal aspects of organizing excavations... changes of professional staff should also The ICOMOS Charter claims also for be developed as a means of raising stan- preservation of the heritage to take place in dards of archaeological heritage manage- its original context. This point of view re- ment. Technical assistance programmes in flects the doctrine of ‘the integrity of natio- the field of archaeological heritage mana- nal cultural heritage’ that states generally gement should be developed under the aus- that any part of the object or an object shall pices of ICOMOS.’ not be detached from its source object or of Exchanges of professional staff cannot be the territory it belongs by historical or cul- more fruitful than during international works tural means.[5] which are undertaken for example at the oc- The above-mentioned may hardly be ob- casion of excavations. Each international co- tained if we take into consideration all the operation obviously takes place on the complexity of works regarded as preserva- territory of given state applying its law and tion or conservation. Even if preservation of that is a legal inheritor of the objects found the heritage in its original context seems to on its territory. A given national legal system be the perfect solution both from technical is limited to the state’s territory. However, as point of view and regarding an object as un- assume O’Keefe, P.J. and Pratt, there are si- detachable part of the given culture or tuations where no legal system is claiming to country heritage, the reality shows the op- enforce its rules, or there is more than one to posite practice to be true. Considering, that enforce its rules.[2] Regarding excavations, if the country does not held the sufficient the latter situation is common and needs to base of specialists, it must take an advan- be carefully studied before any works or ex- tage of specialists from another countries cavations would start. and what is more, very often excavations Referring to the state’s jurisdiction on its are being financed by multinational group territory we must assume not only state’s of donors and sponsors. In such case, as rights but also its duties considering the ob- O’Keefe, P.J. and Pratt assume when fo- jects being the part of World Heritage.