The 10th Session of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council

Attending the session were Chair of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council (UGGpC) Professor Setsuya Nakada - Japan, the  Director of Ecological and Earth Sciences of  UNESCO Antonio De Sousa Abreu, the President of the Global Geoparks Network Nickolas Zouros, the representative of IUGS, Asier Hilario and the Representative of IUCN Robbert Casier, and other memebrs of the Council.

The Members of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council  examined  during the two days meeting Evaluation Reports for 9 Aspiring Geoparks, Area Modification of 2 UNESCO Global Geoparks, Progress Reports on 3 Defered Aspiring Geoparks and 44 Revalidation Reports for UNESCO Global Geoparks and 3 Modification less than 10% for UNESCO Global Geoparks. These dossiers were examined according to transparent and detailed criteria frameworks as well as strict regulations on development and management of UNESCO Global Geoparks.  

Through discussions and results of Council meeting, it can be seen that, many Geoparks had generally implemented the recommendations effectively to promote sustainable Geopark development. The Council particularly appreciated innovative models and best practices in conserving and enhancing heritage values, such as strengthening communication and educational efforts to raise community awareness; encouraging local people to actively participate in protecting natural resources, biodiversity, and landscapes; and promoting indigenous cultural values associated with geo-heritage to foster sustainable tourism development and create stable livelihoods for communities.

An important thing is that the meeting session was conducted at the 10^th Anniversary of the Geoparks Programme. This is an important milestone marking the development of GGN and the role of the Program to support the global sustainable development, integrating geological heritage with cultural importance, nature and communities.