LOC20:58
17:58 GMT
PARIS, March 27 (KUNA) -- The UNESCO's Executive Board has endorsed the addition of 18 sites to the UNESCO Global Geoparks network, thus bringing the total number of geoparks up to 213 in 48 countries.
The new geoparks are situated in Brazil, China, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Portugal and Spain, the UNESCO said in a press statement, adding that there is an additional new transboundary geopark spanning Belgium and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The UNESCO Global Geopark designation was created in 2015. It recognizes geological heritage of international significance, it added.
Geoparks serve local communities by combining the conservation of their significant geological heritage with public outreach and a sustainable approach to development, according to the statement.
UNESCO continues to promote the geopark concept in regions where geoparks are less common, notably in Africa, the Arab States and Small Island Developing States. UNESCO does this by facilitating expert missions, tailored training sessions and individual consultations on both a national and local scale, to guide the preparation of applications for UNESCO Global Geopark status. (end)
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