An overview of the seminar.

The event is part of a series of activities celebrating the 20th anniversary of UNESCO’s recognition of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, as a world natural heritage (July 5, 2003-2023).

The seminar is a forum for domestic and international managers, experts and scientists to exchange and discuss the achieved results, and the limitations and challenges in the conservation and promotion of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park.

Thereby, the participants offered ideas, solutions and proposals to improve the efficiency of heritage governance, management, conservation and promotion of the heritage's values for sustainable development.

Speaking at the seminar, Chairman of Quang Binh Provincial People's Committee Tran Thang emphasised, that the process of creating the earth's crust more than 450 million years ago created Phong Nha-Ke Bang heritage, with unique values in terms of geology, geomorphology, ecology and biodiversity.

Chairman of Quang Binh Provincial People's Committee Tran Thang speaks at the seminar.

With the values of humanity, Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park has twice been honoured by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage and recognised by the Prime Minister as a special national relic, he added.

Quang Binh’s leader also noted that the conservation and promotion of heritage values still face many difficulties and challenges. Therefore, through the seminar, Quang Binh hopes that international organisations, scientists and researchers will continue to decipher the hidden values of the world heritage towards creating measures for sustainable preservation and promotion.

Quang Binh Province committed to doing its best to preserve and exploit the heritage in a reasonable, effective, sustainable and lawful manner, in compliance with international conventions, as well as closely cooperating with Hin Nam No National Park of Khammouane Province of Laos, to develop the unique landscape and tourism complex of Southeast Asia and the world.

Michel Croft, Acting UNESCO Chief Representative in Vietnam speakes at the seminar.

Also at the seminar, the scientists, experts and speakers presented reports on the sustainable development orientation of the World Heritage from UNESCO's point of view, as well as the results of exploitation activities at caves in Quang Binh Province, over the past 20 years.

The ideas, suggestions and proposals of experts and scientists will be absorbed and studied by the provincial leaders, for the plan to conserve and promote the values of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park.