2009 - Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun - Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov - Dec

2008 - Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun - Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov - Dec

2007 - Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun - Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov - Dec

30 March

• The Director-General opens the first Meeting of the States Parties to the Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage
  On 26 March 2009, Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, opened the first meeting of the States Parties to the Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, which was adopted in November 2001 and entered into force on January 2009.

25 March

• Ratification by the United States of America of the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (The Hague, 14 May 1954)
  On 13 March 2009, the United States of America deposited with the Director-General their instrument of ratification of the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. In accordance with the terms of Article 33 (3), the date of entry into force of this Convention with respect to the United States of America is 13 March 2009.

• Ratification by Slovakia of the Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage (Paris, 2 November 2001)
  On 11 March 2009, Slovakia deposited with the Director-General its instrument of ratification of the Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. In accordance with the terms of its Article 27, the aforementioned Convention will enter into force with respect to Slovakia three months after the date of the deposit of this instrument, that is to say on 11 June 2009.

• Accession by the Dominican Republic to the Second Protocol to the Hague Convention of 1954 for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (The Hague, 26 March 1999)
  On 3 March 2009, the Dominican Republic deposited with the Director-General its instrument of accession to the Second Protocol to the Hague Convention of 1954 for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. In accordance with the terms of its Article 43.2, the Protocol will enter into force with respect to the Dominican Republic three months after the deposit of the instrument of accession, that is to say on 3 June 2009.

• Ratification by Nicaragua of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (Paris, 20 October 2005)
  On 5 March 2009, Nicaragua deposited with the Director-General its instrument of ratification of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. In accordance with the terms of its Article 29, the aforementioned Convention will enter into force with respect to Nicaragua three months after the date of the deposit of its instrument, that is to say on 5 June 2009.

• Sunken treasures on show for Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Underwater Cultural Heritage
  The first Meeting of States Parties to the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage will take place on 26 and 27 March at Paris headquarters. The exhibition "Cultural Secrets under the Waves" will highlight the event.

17 March

• The United States of America deposits its instrument of ratification of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict
  On 13 March 2009 the Director-General of UNESCO, Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, expressed his great pleasure on receiving the instrument of ratification of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict from Mr Stephen Engelken, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the United States of America to UNESCO.

12 March

• Ratification by Togo of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (Paris, 17 October 2003)
  On 5 February 2009, Togo deposited with the Director-General its instrument of ratification of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. In accordance with the terms of its Article 34, the aforementioned Convention will enter into force with respect to Togo three months after the date of the deposit of this instrument, that is to say on 5 May 2009.

10 March

• Ratication by Bosnia and Herzegovina of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (Paris, 17 October 2003)
  On 23 February 2009, Bosnia and Herzegovina deposited with the Director-General its instrument of ratification of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. In accordance with the terms of its Article 34, the aforementioned Convention will enter into force with respect to Bosnia and Herzegovina three months after the date of the deposit of this instrument, that is to say on 23 May 2009.

• Acceptance by the Czech Republic of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (Paris, 17 October 2003)
  On 18 February 2009, the Czech Republic deposited with the Director-General its instrument of acceptance of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. In accordance with the terms of its Article 34, the aforementioned Convention will enter into force with respect to the Czech Republic three months after the date of the deposit of its instrument, that is to say on 18 May 2009.

3 March

• On line Data base Ibn Battuta - Center of documentation on the world Shows
  Dedicated to the traditions of the show business and musical comedies of the world, the data base Ibn Battuta gathers different musical, choreographic, theater forms (theaters of actors, masks, theaters of shades and marionettes, rituals…). The annual increase of the Ibn Battuta database is around thousands of documents. All the shows of the House of Cultures of the World are available on line, with a representative selection of photographs and videoclips. A hierarchic thesaurus of more than 4,000 terms (which include the vernacular terms of the spectacular and musical traditions of the world) developed by the House of Cultures of the World allows to consult 3344 referenced documents at the moment.

2 March

• Exhibition of photographs on Underwater Cultural Heritage
  From 26 March to 24 April 2009. UNESCO Headquarters - Bookshop Hall. Paris, France
  On the occasion of the First Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, a photo exhibition entitled “Cultural Secrets under the Waves” is inaugurated on 26 March 2009 at 6.30 p.m. at the Fontenoy Restaurant (7th floor) and will continue till 24 April in the UNESCO Bookshop Hall. The exhibition illustrates the beauty of traces of human existence covered by the waves which also reveals fascinating stories about the past. From ancient shipwrecks and underwater caves to fish traps, the exhibition is an insight to the diversity of the underwater cultural heritage and its astonishing condition of conservation through the centuries of time, or even millennia.