Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba archipelago becomes inter-provincial and municipal World Heritage

At 5:40 p.m. on September 16, 2023 local time (ie 9:39 p.m. on September 16, 2023 Vietnam time) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee officially declared Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba archipelago (in Quang Ninh province and Hai Phong city) a World Natural Heritage.

Attending the 45th session, the Vietnamese delegation was led by Associate Professor, Dr. Le Thi Thu Hien - Director of the Department of Cultural Heritage (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism); Ambassador Le Thi Hong Van - Head of the Permanent Delegation of Vietnam to UNESCO in France; representative of the Secretariat of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

On the local side, there were Mr. Le Khac Nam - Vice Chairman of Hai Phong City People's Committee; Ms. Nguyen Thi Hanh - Vice Chairman of Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee...

Ha Long Bay was twice recognized by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage in 1994 and 2000 according to criteria (vii) and criterion (viii).

In 2013, the nomination dossier for Cat Ba archipelago as a World Natural Heritage according to biodiversity and ecosystem criteria (criteria ix and x) was sent to the World Heritage Center.

After the assessment process, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) drafted Decision No. WHC-14/38.COM/INF.8B for the World Heritage Committee to adopt at its 38th session in Qatar in 2014, recommending: “The Member State considers the possibility of proposing an extension to Ha Long Bay, according to criteria (vii) and (viii) and possibly criterion (x), to include the Cat Ba archipelago”.

Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba archipelago is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, because it contains areas of natural beauty including limestone islands covered with vegetation and limestone pinnacles rising above the sea, together with related karst features such as domes and caves.

Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba archipelago was recognized by UNESCO at the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee, becoming the first inter-provincial and municipal World Heritage in Vietnam. This is a useful lesson in combining management, protection and promotion of the value of World Heritage in particular, historical - cultural relics, and scenic spots in general in Vietnam in the coming years.