NADL is informed by the Charter on the Protection and Management of Underwater Cultural Heritage of 1996, and the spirit of the 2001 UNESCO Convention for the Underwater Cultural Heritage, which lay out an obligation for all states to preserve, study, and publish underwater heritage, to prohibit commercial exploitation for trade or speculation, and to promote the value and importance of underwater cultural heritage.

We consider access to the past a human right and we emphasize the principles and values that inspired the Council of Europe Convention on the Value of the Cultural Heritage for Society (Faro Convention, 2005).

We condemn the destruction of any archaeological site, with or without the intention to recover artifacts for for-profit purposes. We acknowledge that excavation is inherently destructive and commit to the publication and dissemination of the data we recover. Furthermore, we strongly support the need to conserve and protect shipwrecks and other sites.

We are invested in the decolonization of archaeology and in the development of plural narratives, which give voice to all people and make the past richer and far more interesting. 

We support engaging with and developing substantial partnerships with local and foreign stakeholder communities and institutions. We support the development of local facilities capable of safeguarding, conserving, displaying, and disseminating information about that material, including providing support and training to local institutions when needed.