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World Heritage Marine Managers Gather
Managers and representatives from more than three dozen countries with World Heritage marine sites gathered in Honolulu Dec. 1-3, 2010 for their first-ever meeting. The Navigating the Future of Marine World Heritage meeting was the first opportunity for managers from sites across the globe to meet, to share knowledge and best practices.
Organized by UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre, this first international meeting charted the way for a stronger community that can collectively play a bigger role in tackling the challenges of ocean conservation around the globe. Places as unique as the Phoenix Islands Protected Area in Kiribati, the Galapagos Marine Reserve in Ecuador and the Wrangel Island Reserve in arctic Russia, among many others, have reached World Heritage status. The meeting coincided with an official inscription ceremony for Papahānaumokuākea, inscribed to the World Heritage List in July 2010.
Well known ocean explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau and Dr. Greg Stone of Conservation International provided keynote addresses. World Heritage status provides governments and conservation organizations with additional means for halting damaging economic development and protecting and conserving critical natural and cultural resources.
The meeting was co-organized by NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries with much of the on-ground work accomplished by leadership and staff from Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Financing was provided by ten other national governments, non-governmental organizations, and by the private sector.
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Dan Basta, the director of the Office of National Marine |
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Assistant Secretary of State Dr. Esther Brimmer and Philippe |
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Managers and representatives of more than three dozen World |