LAOS
Laos News Agency-May 23
GIZ has affirmed to support and cooperate with the Laos Department of Heritage, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, to secure UNESCO’s world heritage status for Hin Nam No National Protected Area.
“If relevant sectors attach importance to this matter, provide supports and have strong collaboration, it is likely that we will be able to secure transboundary world heritage status for Hin Nam Nor in 2020,” said Director of Heritage Department Thongbay Phothisane.
On Monday, the Department of Heritage stated obviously its stand and objective of having Hin Nam No listed as a world heritage at a technical meeting between the Department of Heritage, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, the Department of Forest, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and GIZ.
The meeting was also attended by representatives from Khammuane Province and relevant ministries, and foreign experts.
Phong Nga Ke Bang in Vietnam’s Quang Binh was inscribed on the natural heritage list of UNESCO in 2003, meanwhile Laos’ efforts to apply Hin Nam No National Protected Area in Boualapha district, Khammuan Province for World Natural Heritage status of the Lao PDR haven’t been achieved since then.
“The area (Hin Nam No) has universal values, a beautiful landscape and rich biodiversity no less than Phong Nga Ke Bang in terms of rare species, healthy forest resources, and the miraculous Xe Bangfai Cave, which is the largest cave of its type in the world,” said Mr Thongbay.
“To materialize the vision of the government and that of the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, the Department of Heritage has decided to nominate Hin Nam No for transboundary world heritage status together with Phong Nga Ke Bang in Quang Binh, Vietnam. If everything is achieved as planned, Laos will have the first World Natural Heritage in 2020,” said Mr Thongbay.
In January 2018, Laos and Vietnam signed an MoU in Hanoi through which Vietnam fully supports the nomination of Hin Nam No National Protected Area as a transboundary World Heritage Site together with the already established UNESCO natural World Heritage site Phong Nga Ke Bang National Park in Quang Binh, Vietnam, which shares a common border with Hin Nam No National in Khammouane, Laos, according to GIZ Laos.
The MoU paved the way for kicking off the process of preparing the nomination file which includes research, technical work and strengthening the collaborative management of Hin Nam No National Protected Area through implementation of the Hin Nam No NPA annual work plan 2018.
