DILI, 08 august 2024 (TATOLI) – Timor-Leste has taken the first step towards preparing a bid for the Nino Konis Santana National Park (NKSNP) to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Government of Timor-Leste is currently preparing a draft nomination for the NKSNP to become the first World Heritage Site in Timor-Leste.
The Nino Konis Santana National Park is Timor-Leste’s first national park. The park, established on 15 august 2007, covers 1,236 square kilometers.
Among ASEAN countries, only Brunei and Timor-Leste lack World Heritage Sites. Indonesia leads the list with ten inscribed sites, followed by Vietnam with eight inscribed sites, Thailand with has seven, the Philippines six, Malaysia five, Cambodia four, Laos three, Myanmar two, and Singapore one.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry, in partnership with UNESCO in Jakarta, organized a workshop on the nomination of the Nino Konis Santana National Park as a UNESCO designated site.
“The Nino Konis Santana National Park is a center of biodiversity and for this reason we intend to submit its nomination for World Heritage site. Obtaining the status as World Heritage site will contribute to the ecological and cultural value and will intensify the government’s efforts in the conservation and sustainable development of the park,” said the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry, Marcos da Cruz, at Praia dos Coqueiros in Dili.
According to the Executive Director of Timor-Leste’s National Commission for UNESCO, Luís Soares, the workshop aimed to create a committee to ensure that the requirements for submitting a bid to UNESCO are met before september 30.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
