From September 4 to 11, 2023, Sanqingshan UGGp sent representatives to Marrakech, Morocco, to attend the 10th International Conference on UNESCO Global Geoparks. It discussed development strategies and shared construction experience with experts and colleagues from geoparks around the world.
Organized by M’Goun UGGp, Morocco, the conference centered on the core theme “Communities in Development”. About 120 representatives from the National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China, the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, China’s 41 UNESCO Global Geoparks and relevant candidate geopark authorities attended the conference in person.
A series of parallel activities were held during the conference, including the Council meeting, thematic workshops, and the Global Geoparks Fair. The M’Goun Declaration was also adopted, calling for continued global attention and support for the development of UNESCO Global Geoparks to drive the sustainable development of local communities, jointly address the challenges posed by climate change and biodiversity loss, and make due contributions to achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. During the conference, the 8th session of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council was convened, which discussed and approved 21 new geopark applications, 3 boundary extensions, and 34 revalidation projects worldwide.
The conference announced that the 11th International Conference on UNESCO Global Geoparks will be held in Chile in September 2025.
Focusing on the conference theme “Communities in Development”, the Sanqingshan delegation made full use of this international platform to comprehensively showcase the geopark’s practices and achievements in geological heritage protection, science education, and community collaborative development. It actively shared the Chinese experience of “promoting community co-construction and sharing through geological heritage protection”. Meanwhile, through participation in the conference and the Expo, the delegation learned advanced concepts and practical experience in community sustainable development from various countries.
