It is with profound sadness that UNESCO learned of the passing of Prof. Dr. Thijs Maarleveld, underwater archaeologist and professor at the University of Southern Denmark.

“Thijs Maarleveld will be remembered for his great knowledge, his commitment and his high spirits. He was a scientist dedicated to the promotion of international cooperation and a close friend of the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. His death is a great loss to the international heritage community” said Ernesto Ottone R., Assistant Director-General for Culture of UNESCO.

Thijs Maarleveld was a long-time supporter of the 2001 Convention, the editor and one of the authors of the UNESCO Manual on the Annex of the Convention that contains the Rules concerning Activities Directed at Underwater Cultural Heritage used by underwater archaeologists worldwide, and one of the founding members of the UNITWIN Underwater Archaeology Network, UNESCO’s university twinning and networking programme.