One step closer to UNESCO’s eight Global Geoparks in Latin America and the Caribbean
- Posted By
10Pointer
- Categories
World Affairs
- Published
23rd Mar, 2020
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Context
- The Rio Coco Aspirant Geopark, located in the north of Nicaragua, culminated with its application to become part of the UNESCO World Geopark family in the Latin America and Caribbean region, becoming the eighth UNESCO World Geopark in the network.
- The Rio Coco Geopark has twelve Geosites of international geological and landscape relevance. A unique territory that integrates geological, aesthetic and cultural values to promote sustainable tourism, education and research.
- The RioCoco Geopark has already completed the necessary steps and is waiting for the final decision. There are already eight aspiring Geopark sin the pipeline, therefore we are expecting to duplicate the amount of UNESCO Global Geoparks in LAC by the end of the year.
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How can one get the UNESCO World Geopark status?
- Any territory interested in acquiring the status of UNESCO World Geopark must, before applying, have at least one year of de facto operation.
- In order to apply for UNESCO Global Geopark status, the first step is to submit an expression of interest through the official channel defined by the UNESCO National Commission or the governmental body in charge of relations with UNESCO in the country.
- The application is completed following the criteria established in the statutes of the International Geoparks Programme.
- The application is processed through a desktop evaluation which, when accepted, is carried out in the field where experts evaluate the Geopark from within, ensuring that the pillars of the UNESCO World Geoparks Programme are reflected in the work of the territory; Geoconservation, Geoeducation and Sustainable Development through Geotourism.
- Once the evaluations are completed, the UNESCO World Geoparks Council has the final word and in case the Geopark is accepted, it is sent to the UNESCO Executive Board for endorsement.
- UNESCO World Geopark status is granted for a period of 4 years.
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What is a UNESCO Global Geopark?
- UNESCO Global Geoparks are single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development.
- Their bottom-up approach of combining conservation with sustainable development while involving local communities is becoming increasingly popular.
- At present, there are 147 UNESCO Global Geoparks in 41 countries. UNESCO’s work with geoparks began in 2001.
- In 2004, 17 European and 8 Chinese geoparks came together at UNESCO headquarters in Paris to form the Global Geoparks Network (GGN) where national geological heritage initiatives contribute to and benefit from their membership of a global network of exchange and cooperation.
- On 17 November 2015, the 195 Member States of UNESCO ratified the creation of a new label, the UNESCO Global Geoparks, during the 38th General Conference of the Organisation. This expresses governmental recognition of the importance of managing outstanding geological sites and landscapes in a holistic manner.
- The Organization supports Member States’ efforts to establish UNESCO Global Geoparks all around the world, in close collaboration with the Global Geoparks Network.
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Where are the UNESCO Global Geoparks?
- As of April 2019, there are 147 UNESCO Global Geoparks spread across 41 countries.
- While the Global Geoparks have until recently been concentrated in Europe and in China, the last few years have seen the geoparks initiative spread worldwide so that there are existing UNESCO Global Geoparks, or active applications to become UNESCO Global Geoparks, on all continents.
- The UNESCO Global Geopark information sheets provide detailed information on the UNESCO Global Geoparks in the different countries around the world.
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What is the Global Geoparks Network?
- The Global Geoparks Network (GGN), of which membership is obligatory for UNESCO Global Geoparks, is a legally constituted not-for-profit organisation with an annual membership fee.
- The GGN was founded in 2004 and is a dynamic network where members are committed to work together and exchange ideas of best practise and join in common projects to raise the quality standards of all products and practises of a UNESCO Global Geopark.
- While the GGN as a whole comes together every two years, it functions through the operation of regional networks, such as the European Geoparks Network that meets twice a year to develop and promote joint activities.
