#18 - Concept Reference, Must Be True

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

The correct answer choice is (C).

Answer choice (A):

Answer choice (B):

Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice.

Answer choice (D):

Answer choice (E):

This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!

[ToddVanV]

Can you explain in detail why C is the correct answer and why E is incorrect?

[Jeremy Press]

Hi Todd,

The reason answer choice E is incorrect is because the sale of the Sussex coins that the agreement provided for is inconsistent with provision 2 of the UNESCO draft conventions in Passage B. The gold coins fit Passage B's definition of UCH, " “Underwater cultural heritage” (UCH) means all traces of human existence that have been partially, totally, or periodically situated underwater for at least 100 years." And provision 2 is very broad in stating that the "commercial exploitation of UCH for . . . sale . . . is fundamentally incompatible with the protection and proper management of the UCH." So any sale of those gold coins is inconsistent with the UNESCO provisions.

So to best respond to the UNESCO conventions, the company representative in passage A cannot claim that the company is following the conventions. Instead, the best response/argument the company rep can make would focus on satisfying the purposes and concerns of the UNESCO conventions, preserving some record of all the different types of UCH they find. Answer choice C does a good job of responding to those purposes and concerns, because it would still let the company sell some of the gold coins, while also preserving identical instances of those coins so that the type of UCH at issue is cared for and preserved and not lost.

[Jefferson9921]

Why would D not work? I thought it seemed like a good way for the company rep to get around adhering to the draft convention by placing the company outside the ambit of its jurisdiction entirely. I see why C is right, but I have trouble shaking D. Thanks!

[Rachael Wilkenfeld]

Just because it might not apply to bind the activities of the company, Jefferson, does not mean that the principles underlying the draft aren't something the company would want to fight. Many draft conventions are not binding on the sovereign states but still can have an impact on what the population will agree with/to. Therefore, setting policy at the international level helps the company to drive the conversation in ways that they feel are helpful. Even if they weren't bound by the UNESCO draft agreement, they still have the motivation to change the language in the draft to be less critical of commercial uses.

Hope that helps!

[Overthinker99]

I do not understand why "C" is correct. It does not satisfy the UNESCO objective of situ preservation (they offer to put coins in a museum) and it still clearly violates the 2nd clause of the convention. In my eyes "A" seems better, as the UNESCO draft seems to presuppose that archeological projects can be funded and completed without needing to sell any objects--allowing them to keep their high ideals; on the other hand, passage A clearly states gov. themselves often lack enough power of money for these projects. By stating that the conventions are quixotic, the companies response can open the door to practical compromise.

Can someone please explain why "C" and not "A" is correct in this light?

[Jeff Wren]

Hi Overthinker,

You're right that the company's plan to recover the gold coins and other artifacts from the HMS Sussex does not adhere to the draft convention's preference for in situ preservation.

Presumably, the company's representative would try to argue either that in situ preservation is not a viable option in this case (perhaps some of the artifacts can't be adequately preserved in situ, for example) or that the recovery of the artifacts would "make a significant contribution to the knowledge, protection, or enhancement of UCH" as required by the draft convention. Unfortunately, none of the answers addresses this issue.

Answer C is really an attempt to compromise with the draft convention by arguing that the cultural importance of 1,000 essentially identical gold coins can be preserved without requiring that all 1,000 coins be preserved (either in museums or in situ). In other words, the draft convention's overall goal of preserving UCH can still be met by the company's agreement even if it's very strict requirements are not followed.

The problem with Answer A is that the draft convention doesn't presuppose that the cost of recovery will be low. In fact, the draft convention's preference for in situ preservation implies a general preference against recovery and a belief that recovery should only be done when in situ preservation is not an option. The draft convention does not mention costs of recovery directly or indirectly, although given the importance that the draft convention places on preserving UHC, even paying high costs would be presumably be justified, if they were necessary to preserve important UHC.