The World Heritage Site Committee says the government of Belize has taken UNESCO's recommendations for preserving the status of Belize's Barrier Reef seriously and is just about ready to meet UNESCO's February deadline.
The site committee's chairman, Wilber Sabido, told Reporter on January 25, that the committee, along with assistance from non-government organizations such as APAMO, had drafted a report that addresses the eight "corrective measures" that UNESCO said GOB needed to look into or risk Belize's reef being "de-listed" as a World Heritage Site.
Sabido explained that the document should be given to Cabinet on Tuesday, February 1, the same day when UNESCO said it was to receive the report. The committee said the report being a little late won't offset the Reef's chances.
Sabido said UNESCO's February deadline wasn't "D-Day", it is simply the date by which the report is to be submitted.
The decision of whether or not it is acceptable will succeed the World Heritage Convention's 35th session to be held in Manama, Bahrain from June 19-29.
The matter first arose in 2009 when UNESCO had placed Belize on its "List of World Heritage Sites in Danger".
UNESCO charged that the development practices in areas that directly or indirectly impact the Reef posed great threats to the survival of the reef system.
UNESCO identified the areas of primary concern, such as the "sale and lease of public lands for the purposes of development within the property leading to the destruction of mangrove and marine ecosystems" as one of the principal matters GOB had to address.
The organization asked GOB to "implement the necessary legal measures to guarantee the permanent cessation of the sale and lease of lands throughout the property, and the cessation of mangrove cutting, coral dredging and other associated real estate development activities."
Sabido said the committee's report recommends several changes to the regulations on mangrove cutting.
It recommends that GOB increase the fines for those found to be cutting mangroves without government approval, and it also recommends designating zones where mangrove cutting would be strictly prohibited.
Sabido said 30 years of research had revealed that only about 0.07% of mangroves had been cleared; a figure that the committee says is relatively small.
UNESCO also called on GOB to address the issue of oil concessions. UNESCO said the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) had "...received reports that oil concessions have been granted in blocks along the entire coast of Belize, including all the component sites of the property, and considers that activation of these concessions would have serious ramifications on the integrity of the property."
The World Heritage Centre and IUCN reiterated the clear policy position that oil exploration is incompatible with World Heritage Status.
The granting of oil concessions within the property highlights that current local protection is insufficient for a World Heritage property.
The World Heritage Centre and IUCN strongly urge the State Party [Belize]...to enact legislation to prohibit oil exploration within the Belize Barrier Reef System on the basis of its status as a World Heritage status."
The committee acknowledged that the matter of oil concessions does pose a serious threat to the health of the reef, but Sabido said consideration must be given to the "overall national development needs" of the country and in no way suggests that the prohibiting or cancellations of oil concessions be looked at as a "hard and fast" matter.
Instead, Sabido said the World Heritage Centre should collaborate with and provide GOB with the relevant technical and financial assistance to help carry out proper research to help GOB distinguish those areas where drilling should not be done from those where sustainability can be assured.
Sabido said the site committee had taken into account all the areas of concerns and corrective measures that UNESCO and after the Cabinet has reviewed the document, it should be sent to the World Heritage Committee.
The Reporter
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