Members of UNESCO back Sussan Ley’s call on Great Barrier Reef
Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are backing an Australian proposal that would stop UNESCO from changing the Great Barrier Reef‘s status, foiling a China-backed push to list the reef as ‘in danger’.
Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are backing an Australian proposal that would keep the Great Barrier Reef from being described as “in danger”, pushing back a change until at least 2023.
The two countries – both members of the China-chaired UNESCO World Heritage Committee – moved to back Australia ahead of the 44th meeting of the committee on Friday, following a lobbying campaign by Environment Minister Sussan Ley and other officials.
The government said it was blindsided by the release of a draft World Heritage Committee decision late last month that recommended changing the reef’s environmental alert level without consultation or on-the-ground verification.
A spokesman for Ms Ley said she “had a number of productive meetings which reflect Australia’s concerns”. Ms Ley has defended the reef’s status, citing the work that has been done to protect it and arguing that Australia deserved “a proper international process” before its status was changed. “Australia’s position remains that the draft listing process did not include the proper consultation with the relevant ‘state party’ (Australia), was not made on the basis of the latest information and did not follow the proper process,” he said.
Ms Ley flew to Europe last week to lobby World Heritage Committee members, meeting with UNESCO delegates in Paris before visiting several European countries including Hungary, Norway and Spain.
Last month, 11 countries backed Australia in denouncing UNESCO’s lack of consultation, including France, Canada, Britain and Spain. Ms Ley has formally invited the World Heritage Committee to visit the reef for an on-the-ground assessment.
In 2014, a similar “in danger” listing proposal was foreshadowed rather than proposed for an immediate decision.
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The Albanese government has lodged a diplomatic protest with Beijing over a live weapons drill between Australia and New Zealand, as the Defence Minister reveals China is yet to give a ‘satisfactory’ explanation.
‘Albanese’s jelly-back spinelessness’: China’s loud and clear message
Xi wants submission from Australia, not stability. Why make it easy for the Chinese navy? Let’s at least show them that our navy can match it with them in skilful manoeuvres. Let’s raise the cost to Beijing, not give it a free ride to demean us.