ACTION ALERT - World Heritage Sites "In Danger"

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ACTION ALERT - World Heritage Sites "In Danger"
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This is a link to the World Heritage Committee (WHC) campaign (http://www.elaw.org/campaigns/info.asp?id=3132) which officially began in November, 2004, when petitions were filed with the World Heritage Committee to place world heritage sites [Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, Belize (BBR), Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal (SNP) and Huascaran National Park, Peru (HNP]) on the World Heritage Site "In Danger" list and to take remedial steps to protect them.

The Convention allows for such an action, though it had never been done before. At the July, 2005 meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC), the impacts of climate change were officially recognized as affecting many sites and likely to affect many more. They went so far as to say that “early action” is needed to respond to these threats.

Also, two other petitioners joined the campaign by filing petitions [Great Barrier Reef, Australia (GBR) and the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, Canada-USA (Waterton)].

The Committee accepted a UK proposal to host a meeting of the expert group – including the petitioners – which took place in March, 2006. Experts were to meet to determine the risks which climate change poses with the aim of developing plans of action to mitigate the threat. Dr. Melanie McField, a reef biologist represented Belize on the impacts of climate change to the Belize Barrier Reef.

One action goal was to include pledges to reduce emissions, but the United States claimed UNESCO had no authority to act on climate change because climate change as a threat to protected sites is an unproven theory.

The WHC is meeting again, from 8-16 July 2006 and we need your help to urge Committee members to act now. At the site (http://www.elaw.org/campaigns/info.asp?id=3132), you will find background information on the campaign as well as a draft letter to the WHC members.

Please e-mail letters to Committee members now to build momentum for this groundbreaking work. Use the draft letter as a starting point for a more personalized letter or re-draft to specifically mention the Belize Barrier Reef or just send as is - whatever you feel comfortable with. The important thing is to send your letter as soon as possible.

Thank you for any help in this effort.

Candy Gonzalez
Belize Institute of Environmental Law and Policy (BELPO)
Belize

[maddyfish]

The U.N., or un, as I like to call them, needs to mind it's own buisness and stay out of independent nation's own enviromental buisness.

[wds21921]

That kind of defeats the purpose as to why they exist doesn't it?