Under the support of UNESCO, the Global Geoparks Network (GGN) was formed in 2004, with 24 founding members (16 from Europe and 8 from China). In 2005, the network extended into 31 members, and in 2010, it had 73 members. In 2015, the network developed into 119 members.
During the 38th session of UNESCO¡¯s General Conference held in Nov. 2015, 195 Member States decided to endorse the statutes of a new international programme: the International Geoscience and Geoparks Programme (IGGP). This allows the organisation to more closely reflect the societal challenges of Earth Science today and provides an international status to a former network of sites of geological significance. The 195 Member States of UNESCO also ratified the creation of a new label, the UNESCO Global Geoparks, on 17 November 2015. This expresses governmental recognition of the importance of managing outstanding geological sites and landscapes in a holistic manner.
The aim of the GGN is that members from across the network assist these aspiring territories in their development and membership bids, in order to ensure the overall high quality of services that the network insists on. As partners in the Global Geoparks Network, the members will continue bringing the geopark concept to all parts of the world, especially to the developing world, where sustainable tourism, such as that developed within geoparks, leads to job creation in local rural communities, for the benefit of those communities.
The GGN provides a platform for cooperation and exchange between experts and practitioners in geological heritage, and its promotion. Under the umbrella of UNESCO, and through cooperation with the global network partners, important local and national geological sites gain worldwide recognition and benefit from the exchange of knowledge and expertise with staff of other Geoparks.
In April 18, 2018, UNESCO¡¯s Executive Board approved the designation of 13 new Geoparks for sites demonstrating the diversity of the planet¡¯s geology. The world network of UNESCO Global Geoparks has 140 members now, distributing in 38 countries. The number of UNESCO Global Geoparks in China reached 37.
More detailed information about the latest development of GGN,
please visit: http://www.globalgeopark.org/aboutGGN/51.htm |
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