The World Heritage Committee, the Chinese host of this yr’s UN assembly, on Sunday defended the physique’s proposal to label the Great Barrier Reef “in danger”, towards suspicions from the Australian authorities that China influenced the invention for political causes. did.
The committee, which is assembly each nearly and within the Chinese metropolis of Fuzhou for the subsequent two weeks, will take into account the draft choice on Friday.
“Australia, as a member state of the World Heritage Committee … should give importance to the opinion of the Advisory Bodies and faithfully fulfill the duty of World Heritage protection rather than making baseless allegations against other states,” mentioned Chinese Vice President Tian Xujun Education Minister and President of this yr’s session.
The UNESCO committee will take into account including new websites to the World Heritage List, eradicating some and including others to the threatened class. A draft choice to place Venice on the hazard record prompted the Italian authorities to ban cruise ships from the lagoon metropolis to keep away from the designation.
Speaking on the first information convention for the reason that conferences started final Friday, Tian mentioned the Great Barrier Reef proposal was based mostly on knowledge from Australia and proposals from an advisory physique.
Australia reacted angrily when the draft was launched final month.
“This decision was flawed. Clearly there was politics behind it,” Environment Minister Susan Le mentioned with out naming China.
Relations between the 2 nations have soured lately, with Australia blocking investments in Chinese expertise and key infrastructure, and China utilizing tariffs and different measures to cut back its imports from Australia. is.
Australia was warned in 2014 that an in-danger itemizing was being thought of for the Great Barrier Reef, which was designated as a World Heritage Site in 1981.
The draft choice acknowledged that Australia’s long-term plan for the reef, a community of two,500 reefs overlaying 348,000 sq. kilometers (134,000 sq mi), was “particularly robust to urgently counter the effects of climate change”. And clear commitments are wanted.”
“We acknowledge much of the work that has been done in Australia, but our text in the draft decision … is a proposal to put the site on the List of World Heritage in Danger after the threats were identified,” mentioned Mechtilde Roessler. Said, UNESCO Director of the World Heritage Committee.
Ernesto Otton Ramirez, assistant director basic of tradition at UNESCO, mentioned an in-danger itemizing needs to be seen as a collective name to motion from all member states.
“This is something that should be seen as something positive, not as a punishment as we have heard from some officials in other countries,” he mentioned, attending a press convention from Paris. “This is how we preserve our heritage for generations to come.”
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
