The spanish national committee for unesco global geoparks

Geoparque Mundial UNESCO

The spanish national committee

The Spanish National Committee for UNESCO Global Geoparks is a chartered body of a consultative nature attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through a working group within the framework of the Spanish National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO, attached to the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation.

The Spanish National Committee for World Geoparks of UNESCO will exercise the following specific functions:

  • Coordinate the national contribution to UNESCO Global Geoparks within the International Program for Earth Sciences and Geoparks (PICTG).
  • Promote awareness of the value and meaning of geological heritage, especially through the dissemination and education of environmental values and conservation in the UNESCO World Geoparks.
  • Coordinate and promote the creation and development of new UNESCO Global Geoparks, respecting the bottom-up approach and proposing objective criteria to guide their establishment.
  • Inform the applications for the designation of UNESCO Global Geoparks, as well as their revalidations and extensions that are formulated by the competent Administrations and entities, and propose, where appropriate, to the Spanish National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO their official transfer to the PIGG Secretariat.
  • Designate the observers who will represent the Committee in the evaluation or revalidation missions carried out in Spain.
  • Ensure the correct withdrawal of the UNESCO Global Geopark designation for those geoparks that do not pass the revalidation process or do not wish to continue being a UNESCO Global Geopark.
  • Promote international cooperation among UNESCO Global Geoparks.
  • Provide information in Spain on the Global and European Geoparks Networks.
  • Promote and support strategies and actions in favour of sustainable development in and among the UNESCO Global Geoparks.
  • Encourage coordination with other UNESCO programs, and with other protection figures, preferably through the existing National Committees.
  • Make recommendations on the legislation and regulations applicable to geoparks.
  • Encourage the coordination and cooperation of the different interventions carried out on geoparks by the different levels of public administrations.
  • Encourage the coordination and cooperation of Spanish geoparks with scientific associations related to Earth Sciences and nature protection.

The Committee includes the Spanish National Coordination Commission with UNESCO, various representatives of the Government of Spain -IGME, Environment and protected areas, tourism, culture, rural development-, representatives of the autonomous communities with geoparks, representatives of geoparks and other expert people.