FORUM: ENVIRONMENT COMMISSION 1

FORUM: ENVIRONMENT COMMISSION 1

QUESTION OF: Measures to save Natural Heritage in Danger listed by UNESCO

SUBMITTED BY: UNWTO

CO-SUBMITTED BY: Argentina, Benin, Bhutan, ECA, Fiji, Ghana, Jordan, Malaysia, Nicaragua,  Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, UN-WATER

THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE

Recalling the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) efforts to coordinate “24 projects valued at nearly $40 million across multiple countries” for conservation purposes,

Reaffirms UNESCO's establishment of “emergency funds for biodiversity sites" through partnerships with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs),

Noting with appreciation the World Heritage Center's (WHC) efforts to raise international awareness, particularly through the Convention on Biological Diversity,

Affirming UNESCO’s exposure of the “impacts of natural and man-triggered catastrophic events”  on these sites and their significance,

Fully aware of the factors that put Natural Heritage Sites at risk  “related to a diminished capacity to anticipate, cope with, and respond to the impact of a given hazard” according to UNESCO,

Defining the list of Natural Heritage in Danger as described by UNESCO as a conglomeration of prevalent locations with historical and natural significance, a list that contains 56 sites in 33 countries globally,

Recognising that many sites on the aforementioned list are popular tourist destinations, tourism is a significant source of revenue while illegal poaching and animal trafficking is a multi-billion dollar industry for many Less Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs), so they do not have the pertinent resources to combat these poachers,

Affirms the European Union's (EU) establishment of the Habitats Directive, which mandates member states to protect specific species and habitats and safeguards over 1,000 animal and plant species, as well as 200 habitat types, listed in its annexes,

1. Aims to highlight the importance of Natural Heritage for nations’ culture, economy, tourism related activities, and biodiversity, by creating jobs, businesses, events, and conferences to advocate for its relevance and spread their value, yet keeping a eco friendly initiative in natural heritage sites;

2. Encourages sustainable tourism measures to ensure tourism aligns with the values of a sustainable world involving environmentally conscious beneficial practices via:

1. conservation and Protection of wildlife, habitats, and endangered biodiverse areas lowering carbon emissions, waste reduction, and water cleansing, and green travel initiatives, regarding Member States’ management of their most touristic cities
2. technological investments in energy use, Taxes that fund conservation projects, sustainable tourism infrastructure;

3. Requests the implementation of a Committee of Natural Heritage Protection (CNHP) as advisory subdivision of the World Heritage Committee, with objectives such as but not limited to:

1. Encouraging Member States to invest into measures to protect the natural environment from human action, such as:

1. increasing security of natural world heritage sites
2. Developing AI to monitor endangered species and detecting man made or natural harm to the environment, for example wildfires, pollution and vandalism

2. increasing monitoring of tourism in sites of natural heritage
3. Mandating that the CNHP allow Member States to develop safeguards as to ensure that each nation’s sovereign right is upheld and that each nation is guaranteed the management of their own security AI systems while prohibiting unauthorized access, manipulation, or monitoring of them by external influences, including third-party organizations or foreign entities;

4. Urges spreading awareness through training programs for coaching and integration of environmentally friendly practices with a special focus on eco-friendly tourism with the objective of:

1.  stimulating local economies by inviting tourists to support locally owned  accommodations, buy from local artisans, and participate in community-based tourism activities
2. promoting awareness and tourist responsibility by:

1.  promoting off-season travel for the reduction of environmental stress
2. outlining clear guidelines for what is permitted within natural heritage sites;

5. Requests the establishment of legal protection and clear legislation for the safeguarding of Natural Heritage from:

1. national governments
2. regional bodies
3. local authorities
4. non-governmental organizations
5. autonomous citizens
6. any other organization, nation or individual harmful to the natural heritage site in question;

6. Asks for the strengthening of host communities by instilling pride in cultural ownership of these sites via:

1. youth-directed heritage-related activities organized by UNESCO to foster a sense of responsibility and appreciation for their roots, involving art, music, and cuisine
2. implementing education programs with the objective of spreading awareness about the importance of natural heritage to society as a whole;

7. Seeks the conservation of natural habitats with:

1. buffer zone protection, which helps mitigate external threats like urban development, pollution, or unsustainable tourism
2. restricted areas, to ensure complete preservation of culturally significant areas;

8. Further encourages AI drive tourism frameworks for the Natural Heritage sites undergoing critical situations regarding the environmental impact of tourism on them;

9. Proposes the enactment of future international treaties revolving around protecting the environmental sacred sites and/or endangered natural heritage lists while incentivising:

1. formal punishments as legal frameworks to prevent further damage on these sites
2. the establishment of perimeters during times of war,  surrounding UNESCO-protected territories and natural and historical heritage areas that the safeguarding of  Natural Heritage sites from natural disasters using policies that promote community action such as:

1. granting substantial autonomy land rights to indigenous people
2. leveraging traditional protection systems;

10. Invites nations to install strict guidelines by the hand of The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crimes against illegal activities such as:

1. vandalism
2. environment endangering such as

1. causing wildfires by use of pirotecnia, illegal camping and general irresponsibilityb bb                 b   bb b
2. interaction with native species, particularly when it may cause harm to them
3. Littering.

11. Encourages countries to limit tourism when species rk as a whole comes under threat or the number of tourists becomes too great to sustain safe and sustainable tourism as well as ensuring tourists keep the lean safe and secure :      

1.  By placing  reservation systems for entrance into the world natural heritage sites, which can  be achieved by:

1.  Requiring each visitor to have a ticket for entrance
2.  by halting the sale on tickets to world natural heritage sites  when the number of tourists may put the site under threat to the discretion of Unesco and the host country
3. by having Unesco monitor the influx  to monitor the influx of tourists, recommending countries when to halt the sale of tickets
4. by providing benefits such as discounts to off-season tourists

2.  By monitoring Unesco world heritage sites  and fining tourists who litter, create illegal fires, go off of designated trails aswell as, other actions that  could damage the site through installing cameras around the park to detect illegal activity or hiring guards to patrol the park
3. By closing sections or the entirety of world heritage  sites when certain species come under threat

1. by heavily monitoring  species native to areas in the site and closing areas in which these species inhabit once they come under threat
2. by requesting funding from NGOs if the cost of maintenance of surveillance system becomes too great;