Reporting at the Conference, Mr. Nguyen Dai Trung - Head of the Department of Science, Training and International Cooperation, Institute of Geosciences and Mineral Resources said: In 2023, the Vietnam Global Geoparks Technical Subcommittee (Subcommittee) coordinated with the Geopark Management Boards (GMBs): Dong Van, Non Nuoc Cao Bang, Dak Nong and Lang Son to implement international cooperation activities, organize international conferences and seminars; propagate and promote to raise public awareness of UNESCO's activities on geoparks and conservation; build models for developing geoparks in localities; support in the re-evaluation of the UNESCO Global Geopark title...
Cao Bang Management Board has organized a survey and experience sharing program among members of the Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark partner network at a number of community tourism spots, restaurants, hotels that are operating effectively, unique and quality homestays that are currently attracting tourists such as: Lan's homestay; Moc homestay; Nasan Green Farm; Khuoi Ky...; traditional craft villages such as Ban Dia Tren Paper Village, Pac Rang Ren Village... At the same time, visiting heritage sites on the Geopark route; opening 13 training classes and seminars to improve propaganda and education capacity to raise awareness of the Geopark for individuals, communities, and Geopark partners, with a number of 586 people.
Dong Van Management Board organized 2 propaganda classes to raise community awareness in Quan Ba and Meo Vac districts for 80 leaders and teachers of primary and secondary schools in the Geopark area in October 2023.
Dak Nong Management Board organized training courses on traditional brocade weaving methods and skills of the M'nong ethnic group in Krong No district and training courses on propaganda, dissemination of laws and work to preserve and promote national cultural identity, eliminate backward customs for communal cultural officials, artisans, village elders, village and hamlet chiefs and prestigious people in ethnic minority areas in Cu Jut district, Dak Nong province; at the same time, organized training courses on skills to recycle waste into useful products for students of Dak Nong Provincial Community College; training courses to raise community awareness of the Geopark for students in the Geopark area; training to supplement knowledge and skills for the team of collaborators of UNESCO Dak Nong Global Geopark.
Lang Son Management Board organized a short-term basic English class for officials of Lang Son Geopark Management Board and Lang Son Geopark partner homestays; 8 training courses to foster knowledge about Geoparks, build the image of craft villages, potential products with the UNESCO global Geopark brand; Training workshop to improve women's capacity in building and developing Lang Son Geopark; Workshop "Cuisine - Typical products of Lang Son Geopark & smart customers and consumers of Lang Son city".
In 2023, the Subcommittee also achieved many results in international cooperation activities (organizing and participating in conferences and seminars; candidacy work at specialized agencies); informing, propagating and promoting world heritage sites in Vietnam; increasing support for localities in raising awareness of the significance of UNESCO programs and activities; building UNESCO development models in localities; coordinating and supporting localities in preparing dossiers for heritage recognition, heritage conservation and management; periodically reporting/re-appraising heritage sites according to UNESCO regulations; preserving and promoting the value of UNESCO titles and heritage sites; actively perfecting the mechanisms and policies for world heritage management in Vietnam.
According to Mr. Nguyen Dai Trung, in 2024, the Subcommittee will coordinate with the Cao Bang Management Board to deploy working groups to build and develop Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark to meet the requirements and recommendations of UNESCO and the Global Geopark Network for Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark; coordinate consulting to prepare for the second re-evaluation of the title of UNESCO Non Nuoc Cao Bang Global Geopark (expected in 2025).
In addition, coordinate with Dong Van Management Board to deploy working groups to build and develop Dong Van Karst Plateau UNESCO Global Geopark to meet the requirements and recommendations of UNESCO and the Global Geopark Network for Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark; coordinate with Dak Nong Management Board to deploy working groups to build and develop Dak Nong Geopark to meet the requirements and recommendations of UNESCO and the Global Geopark Network for Dak Nong Geopark.
Along with that, continue to complete the Project on fee collection at Dong Van and Cao Bang Stone Plateau Geoparks to have financial resources to support activities of preserving geological heritage, protecting the environment and enhancing livelihoods for people in the Geopark area; coordinate with Lang Son Management Board in the plan to implement activities of building and developing Lang Son Geopark in 2024 and in the following tasks after submitting the dossier to UNESCO to recognize Lang Son Geopark as a UNESCO Global Geopark...
At the Conference, representatives of the Ministry of Science and Technology, representatives of Dong Van Karst Plateau Global Geopark, Cao Bang Non Nuoc Global Geopark, Dak Nong Global Geopark, Lang Son Geopark contributed ideas to make the Subcommittee's activities in 2024 more effective and achieve many positive results. Experts also exchanged and shared experiences on activities to build and develop Geoparks.
Summarizing the opinions at the Conference, Mr. Trinh Hai Son - Director of the Institute of Geosciences and Mineral Resources, Chairman of the Professional Subcommittee on Vietnam Global Geoparks said that in the past year, the Geopark Management Boards faced common difficulties in organizational structure and operating costs, but the Management Boards have made efforts to overcome them.
According to the Chairman of the Subcommittee, in 2024, the key task of the Subcommittee as well as its members is to successfully organize the 8th International Conference of the UNESCO Global Geopark Network in Asia - Pacific in 2024 in Cao Bang province and prepare for the second re-evaluation of the title of UNESCO Non Nuoc Cao Bang Global Geopark, paying attention to assigning specific roles to each member.
He also mentioned solutions to promote the activities of the Subcommittee for the coming period, including proposing to the authorities of Cao Bang, Dak Nong and Lang Son provinces to build scientific research centers, conference and seminar centers, and accommodation and service areas for experts associated with cultural parks at the Geoparks.
According to Mr. Trinh Hai Son, the 2010 Mineral Law has not yet provided guidance on criteria for recognizing and ranking geological heritage. While the Draft Law on Geology and Minerals is being sent to the Ministry of Justice for the third review, there is still no basis for implementing the ranking of geological heritage. To solve this problem, the Institute of Geological Sciences and Mineral Resources has requested the Vietnam Geological Department - one of the two units assigned by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to draft the Law - to develop criteria for classifying geological heritage, and include these criteria in the draft Law or legal documents under the Law.
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