20 Jan 2016

International Union of Geological Sciences 69th Executive Committee Meeting was held in Shilin Global Geopark on January 18 and 56 participants from 14 countries including China, Switzerland, Spain, the United States, Canada, Japan, Britain, France, Italy, Russia and other countries attended the meeting.

During this meeting, committees, professional committees, thematic working groups, some membership organizations and other organizations affiliated with the International Union of Geological Sciences reported all the work in 2015 and discussed work task in 2016; decided 2016 strategy, activities arrangements and financial plans; some participants would also carry out field excursion in the Shilin Global Geopark, Kunyang Phosphorite Mine and Precambrian- Cambrian boundary at Meishucun section.

The International Union of Geological Sciences was established in 1961 in Paris, France where the UNESCO headquarters is; it is a member of the International Council for Science. In November 2015, UNESCO's 38h General Assembly approved formally the new UNESCO "International Geosciences and Geoparks Program(IGGP)" and the relevant regulations and guidelines, and all the existing global geoparks have been included in the Program and became UNESCO Global Geoparks. The International Union of Geological Sciences is a highest level international academic organization in the fields of the world's geosciences.

According to the agreements with UNESCO, the IUGS will annually recommend UNESCO experts to carry out field evaluation and provide professional science assessments to UNESCO, which plays an important role in the global geopark designation and revalidation.

China began to declare and develop global geoparks in 2003. At present there are 186 national geoparks distributed in 31 provinces, cities and the Hong Kong Special  Administrative Region, among which 33 are global geoparks, ranking first in the world. After Shilin became a global geopark in 2004, local authorities allocated annually 30 million in park conservation. A four-level management system (Bureau- Town-Village committee-village), was established ensuring effective management of the park area. The Geopark has achieved a lot in scientific research. The management model is advanced.

The meeting indicated that IUGS fully affirmed achievements in Chinese geoparks. Shilin Geopark has become a reference site in research, protection and management home and abroad. Stone Forest Geopark management pattern has provided valuable experience for other geoparks and made it most known worldwide. At the same time, this meeting will play a solid foundation for the park's revalidation June this year.

R.Oberhänsli, president of the lUGS, Bai Xingbi, deputy director general, Department of Science, Technology and International Cooperation, Ministry of Land and Resources of P.R.China, Zhou Linchun, director general of Shilin Geopark Administrative Bureau, made a speech respectively at the opening ceremony. Zhang Hongren, former President of the lUGS, former vice- minister of Ministry of Geology and Mineral Resources of P.R.China, was awarded IUGS honor medal.