HANOI, 4 February 2021: Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam is renewing the strategy to gain UNESCO World Heritage Site recognition for the Halong Bay-Cat Ba Archipelago.
According to a report in Nhan Dan, the official news channel of the Communist Party, the deputy minister has assigned the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO to work with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to gain a listing for a broader region than just Halong Bay.
UNESCO has already recognised Halong Bay in Quang Ninh province as a World Heritage Site, but the government will revive efforts to gain the same status for the lesser-known neighbour Cat Ba Archipelago.
The initiative to gain UNESCO World Heritage status for Cat Ba dates back to 2014 when the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recommended World Heritage status should be extended to include the neighbouring Cat Ba Archipelago.
Cat Ba Archipelago includes over 360 islands, including Cat Ba island in the south of Halong Bay. It was previously recognised as a world biosphere by UNESCO and is the featured destination for many up-scale coastal junk cruises.
The press report said: “Seeking world heritage status will help to maintain and conserve the endemic value of Cat Ba Archipelago’s biodiversity to boost socio-economic development and promote the image of the country.” (Source Nhan Dan)
