On July 3, 2003, at the 27th Session of the World Heritage Committee, Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park was recognized by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage for the first time (criterion viii) and on July 3, 2015, at the 39th Session of the World Heritage Committee, Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park was recognized for the second time (criteria ix and x). Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park shares a natural boundary with Hin Nam No National Park of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.
The dossier of Hin Nam No National Park for UNESCO recognition as an extension of the Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park World Natural Heritage was jointly submitted by the Governments of Laos and Vietnam to UNESCO in February 2024, for consideration by the World Heritage Committee at this Session. Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park are among the most outstanding and intact limestone karst landscapes and ecosystems in the world.
Located at the junction of the Annam Mountains and the Central Indochina Limestone Belt, straddling the border between Vietnam and Laos. The karst formations have developed since the Paleozoic period some 400 million years ago and can be considered the oldest, large-scale karst area in Asia. The diversity of ecosystems found in this complex landscape includes dry karst forests at high altitudes, moist and dense forests at low altitudes, and extensive underground cave environments.
Among these underground structures are more than 220 km of caves and underground river systems that are recognized as globally significant. The unique biodiversity with some endemic species living in tropical mixed ecosystems also creates special values, of global significance.
The management of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park is proposed in two separate Management Plans. The joint management of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park has been signed by localities of Vietnam and Laos for many years, which sets out joint activities on law enforcement and develops action plans to protect the values of the heritage.
It can be said that the coordination process between the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism in researching, developing and completing the nomination dossier from 2018 to present has been really promoted after the two governments agreed on the policy (in early 2023) on developing a nomination dossier for Hin Nam No National Park (Laos) as a cross-border World Heritage Site with the World Natural Heritage Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park (Vietnam).
The Minister of Culture and Tourism, Chairman of the National Heritage Committee of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, expressed his delight, “This event is a significant milestone and a proud moment for the Lao Government and the entire Lao society, as the Hin Nam No National Park of the Lao People's Democratic Republic has been officially inscribed as an extension of the Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park as a World Heritage Site in Vietnam; and affirmed that the Government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic will continue to cooperate with its Vietnamese partners to strengthen cooperation at all levels of society, with a focus on enhancing the consultative and inclusive participation of local communities in the management of this precious world heritage.”
Speaking at the 47th Session after the World Heritage Committee officially adopted the Decision approving the significant boundary adjustment of the World Natural Heritage Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park (Quang Tri, Vietnam) to include Hin Nam No National Park (Kham Muon, Laos), with the name: "Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park" in the World Heritage List, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong said: The event of "Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park" becoming the first transboundary World Heritage of Vietnam and Laos shows the importance of global cooperation through the nomination of common heritage, contributing to the promotion of peace and security from the perspective of UNESCO, further tightening the friendship and solidarity between the two countries.
At the same time, we hope to invite delegates to visit Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park, to support Vietnam and Laos in managing this first transboundary World Heritage Site.
The fact that Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park were listed as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO is considered a symbol of cooperation between the two countries in the field of cultural heritage, thereby contributing to further strengthening and consolidating the friendly, united and close relationship between Vietnam and Laos.
According to the Director of the Department of Cultural Heritage Le Thi Thu Hien, in the coming time, to effectively manage the inter-border World Heritage between Vietnam and Laos, the two sides need to continue to promote the implementation of scientific research topics and establish operational methods to deal with risks affecting the heritage; assess tourism capacity in accordance with the capacity and ecological resource capacity in the overall Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park.
In particular, the Vietnamese side can support the Lao side to improve its capacity to develop legal regulations in managing, protecting and promoting the value of World Heritages in general and Hin Nam No National Park in particular.
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/bieu-tuong-quan-he-huu-nghi-dac-biet-152708.html
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