Two-prong charm offensive to stop Great Barrier Reef danger listing

A charm offensive will take place in North Queensland this week as Australia seeks to prevent one of its greatest icons from being listed as “in danger” by UNESCO.

There will be a two-pronged attack to overturn the Great Barrier Reef’s draft in-danger listing with less than 14 days to prevent the damaging call.

Australia still needs to flip votes of numerous countries to reverse the draft decision by UNESCO’s World Heritage Council.

As well as Environment Minister Sussan Ley jetting off to Europe this weekend, it is understood there will be meetings with ambassadors of countries in Paris this week in a bid to have the decision scrapped.

But locally-based ambassadors will be taken to see the Great Barrier Reef first-hand this week, as part of a charm offensive.

Environment Minister Sussan Ley is jetting off to Europe to contest the draft decision by the World Heritage Council to list the Great Barrier Reef as “in danger”. Picture: Sam Mooy/Getty Images

The Morrison Government was blindsided last month when the WHC made a draft decision to list the famous reef as in danger, despite previous assurances that would not be the case.

UNESCO officials from 11 countries have already signed a letter with Australia expressing concerns that the usual processes had been ignored in the controversial decision.

But just four of those are among the 21 countries who will vote in the World Heritage Council meeting, expected to be held between July 21-23, depending on the final agenda.

Australia needs eight votes, including its own, to block a vote and 14 to pass an amendment.

Ms Ley said there had been a “sympathetic response” from some countries so far, but more needed to be done including meetings held with representatives from individual countries and with UNESCO ambassadors in Paris.

“It is important now that I conduct some face-to-face meetings to put forward our position, and that is what this trip is about,” she said.

As well as Paris she is expected to stop in several countries during the week long trip, with Hungary to be the first stop, but she has yet to confirm the others.

A green turtle at Saxon Reef, part of the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef Marine Park off the coast of Cairns. Picture: Brendan Radke

The meeting will be held as part of a forum held in China from July 16 to July 31.

There have been concerns raised that UNESCO had skipped normal processes to making the controversial listing without warning and suggestion its draft recommendation was influenced by China.

But Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian has flatly rejected suggestions Beijing had forced the move.