An official says the Qeshm island in southern Iran will be introduced as the hub of developing geoparks in an upcoming international event on the development of geoparks held by the United Nations’ Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization (UNESCO).
“Iran will offer consultations to other countries in that regard,” says Alireza Amri Kazemi, a member of the Global Geoparks Council of the UNESCO.
Qeshm Geopark to Become Tourist Destination
Specialized Workshops
According to him, Qeshm will host an international UNESCO conference and specialized workshop on the development of global geoparks on April 28-30.
“In this gathering, specialized-training workshops will be held to develop geoparks in Iran and in the whole region,” he said in a Farsi interview with Mehr News Agency.
The organisation will hold the opening ceremony on April 28. “Specialized workshops will open and run until night after official speeches are delivered,” noted Amri Kazemi, who is also the director of the Qeshm Geopark.
There will be specialized workshops on April 29 and April 30 to feature visits to geo-sites, he said.
“Based on the arrangements made with UNESCO, the organisation will introduce Qeshm as the centre for the development of UNESCO’s global geoparks,” he noted.
“We will give consultations to other countries on how to develop their geoparks. So, UNESCO will tell any country in the Middle that wants to establish geoparks to refer to Iran. That will give us the opportunity to export technical-consultative services.”
Qeshm Island and its tourist attractions
“When we are known as a reference, we will be able to render consultative and expert services. If we want to assume that role, we should train workforce,” he said.
Obtaining UN Cultural Body’s Green Card
The event brings together dozens of domestic and foreign officials, including authorities from UNESCO.
Qeshm Geopark has become a UNESCO Global Geopark after obtaining the UN cultural body’s green card.
In a meeting in September 2016, the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council decided to designate Qeshm Geopark as a UNESCO Global Geopark for a four-year period.
The decision was recently endorsed during the 201st session of the UNESCO Executive Board meeting where Qeshm Geopark officially became global.
The designation started on May 5, 2017, and will be valid until May 4, 2021.
Geoparks have significant scientific and geological value, apart from being a natural and cultural heritage. The Global Geopark Network, established by UNESCO, registers such parks. It also pursues three other objectives: Geopark protection, spreading awareness and setting standards for green tourism.
