UNESCO: Morocco Elected to Host 10th International Conference on Global Geoparks

Paris – Morocco was unanimously elected, on Thursday, by the Council of the UNESCO’s Global Geoparks Network (GGN), to host the 10th International Conference on UNESCO Global Geoparks, scheduled for September 5-10, 2023 in Marrakech, according to Morocco’s Permanent Delegation to UNESCO.

The Council of the Global Geoparks Network (GGN) proceeded to the election of Morocco after carefully evaluating the files of the four candidate countries: France, Brazil, Mexico and Morocco.

First of its kind in the African and Arab region, the organization of this event in Morocco is in line with UNESCO’s initiative to promote the geopark concept in Africa and the Arab world.

It constitutes, for Morocco, an opportunity to highlight the exceptional geological and tourist wealth of the M’Goun site, the first Arab and African site to join the Global Geoparks Network, since 2014.

This event will also allow the Kingdom to internationalize its expertise in the field of protection and enhancement of natural and cultural heritage of the Geopark.

The election of Morocco also illustrates UNESCO’s recognition of the pioneering role of Morocco as President, since 2019, of the African Geoparks Network of the UN Organization (AUGGN), in the expansion of the geoparks network in the Arab and African region as well as in the implementation of the objectives of the International Geosciences and Geoparks Program (IGGP).

The Arab and African region has only two geoparks registered in the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network, namely M’Goun in Morocco and Ngorongoro-Lengai in Tanzania.

UNESCO Global Geoparks are unique and unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development involving local communities.

UNESCO supports the efforts of Member States to establish UNESCO Global Geoparks around the world, especially in developing territories without geoparks, in close collaboration with the Global Geoparks Network.