Prof. Shahbaz Khan, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia, Attended the Changbaishan Global Geopark & Biosphere Reserve Sustainable Development Conference and Delivered a Keynote Speech at the Opening Ceremony

On June 15th, as one of the series of activities of the Jilin Province Tourism Development Conference, the Changbaishan Global Geopark & Biosphere Reserve Sustainable Development Conference was held in the Changbaishan Conservation and Development Zone. More than 180 experts, scholars, and professional representatives from relevant fields attended the conference.

In March 2024, Mount Changbaishan was successfully added to the UNESCO Global Geoparks network, and so far, it has two UNESCO-designated sites, including "UNESCO Global Geopark" and "UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve". This marks the new journey of Changbaishan in building a world-class tourism destination, adding confidence and strength, and opening a new chapter of development.

Prof. Shahbaz Khan, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia, was invited to attend the conference and delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony. He stated that UNESCO has a long-term and close cooperation with China, which is built on the common interest of promoting scientific development. The magnificent landforms, diverse ecosystems, and rich cultural traditions of Mount Changbaishan are valuable assets that help people understand the position of humanity in nature. At the same time, he hopes to further develop cooperation with Changbaishan.

According to Gao Haizhu, Director of the Jilin Provincial Forestry and Grassland Administration, there are a total of 167 nature reserves of various types and at various levels in Jilin Province, accounting for 16.7% of the total area of the province. It has become one of the provinces with the largest number and richest types of nature reserves in China. Promoting the sustainable development of nature reserves is a common responsibility that requires the joint efforts of the international community, organizations at all levels, and research institutions.

Wang Ding, Secretary General of the China National Committee for Man and the Biosphere, stated that this conference addresses a highly concerned issue in the industry - how to carry out scientific and orderly management, achieve synergy and efficiency between designated sites, and ultimately create a global sample of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature when there are two or more designated sites endorsed by UNESCO.

The Mount Changbaishan Global Geopark, officially unveiled on June 14th, covers an area of 2723.8 square kilometers and is characterized by the remains of Quaternary volcanic landforms. He Qingcheng, Executive Deputy Director of the National Geopark Network Center and Director of the Global Geopark Network Office, stated that the endorsement of the Mount Changbaishan Global Geopark not only brings more development opportunities to the Changbaishan region, but also injects new vitality into the global geopark network.

The Global Geopark is endorsed by UNESCO and combines the protection of important geological heritage with public awareness and sustainable development, contributing to local communities. As of now, the total number of UNESCO Global Geoparks has reached 213 in 48 countries. Among them, China has a total of 47 Global geoparks, ranking first in the world.

Before participating in the "Changbaishan Global Geopark & Biosphere Reserve Sustainable Development Conference", Mr. Gao Fei, Director of the Changbaishan Conservation and Development Zone Management Committee, met with Prof. Shahbaz Khan, Director of UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia and Representative to China, ROK, Japan, Mongolia, and DPRK; Prof. MU Jianxin, Senior Consultant for Natural Sciences, UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia; Mr. Alireza Amrikazemi, Expert in Global Geopark Assessment and President of the Iranian Geoparks Network; Prof. HE Qingcheng, Executive Deputy Director of China National Geoparks Network Office and Director of Global Geopark Network Office; and Prof. XU Jiandong, Director of the Volcano Research Centre at the China Earthquake Administration. Prof. Shahbaz Khan mentioned that he had been to Changbaishan 24 years ago and was very surprised to see the big changes in Changbaishan over the past 24 years. He congratulated Changbaishan on its achievements in ecosystem protection and biodiversity conservation and put forward some earnest suggestions for the future development of Changbaishan. He looked forward to further strengthening cooperation between UNESCO and Changbaishan in areas such as ecological civilization, ecotourism, and education for sustainable development.

After the meeting, Mr. Gao Fei, along with Prof. Shahbaz Khan and some distinguished guests and experts, visited exhibitions of the 47 Global Geoparks in China, as well as exhibitions of the Mount Changbaishan Global Geopark and the World Biosphere Reserve.