The Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry, in collaboration with Timor-Leste National Commission for UNESCO (TLNCU) partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Jakarta, organized a National workshop nomination of Nino Koni Santana National Park as UNESCO Designated Site and Action Plan for the Preservation “O Homem e a Biosfera” Program.
This event, which took place on August 7, 2024, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MNEC), in Dili, and August 8 – 9, 2024 continued to the municipality of Lautem. This activity is part of the conservation and sustainable development efforts of the Nino Konis Santana National Park.
The seminar also aimed to create a commission that ensures that all requirements required for candidacy to UNESCO are met before the stipulated deadline, September 30th.
The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forests, H.E. Mr. Marcos da Cruz, highlighted the importance of obtaining this status for the Nino Konis Santana National Park, considering it “a center of biodiversity” that “will contribute to the ecological and cultural value”, “intensifying the Government’s efforts in the conservation and sustainable development of the park”.
In his speech, the Secretary of State for Forests, H.E. Mr. Fernando Vieira da Costa, emphasized the commitment of the IX Constitutional Government to promoting sustainability and biodiversity conservation.
“Based on the policy of the IX Constitutional Government and the programs approved by the National Parliament, our forest management aims to develop a National System of Protected Areas and Parks, as well as the Conservation of Biodiversity,” he declared.
The Secretary of State also expressed his gratitude to Mr. Ryuichi Fukuhara of UNESCO Jakarta and Prof. Purwanto, from Indonesia, “for his valuable contributions and sharing of experiences”.
This international recognition of the Nino Konis Santana National Park “not only highlights the ecological and cultural value of the park, but also reinforces the conservation and sustainable development mechanisms in Timor-Leste”. “The designation as a biosphere reserve will significantly contribute to the promotion of ecotourism and the involvement of the local community in the preservation of biodiversity.”
The ceremony was attended by the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in Timor-Leste, Funmi Balogun, the UNESCO representative in Jakarta, Ryuichi Fukuhara, among other guests.
