On September 28, 2023, Lang Son Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism successfully organized an online meeting with UNESCO. Participating in the meeting on the Vietnamese side were Mr. Luu Ba Mac, Deputy Director of Lang Son Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Representative of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO, leaders and officials of the Lang Son Geopark Management Board, Representative of the Provincial Museum, and the Advisory Team for construction and development of Lang Son Geopark. Participants of UNESCO in Paris: Mr. Asier Hilario, Member of the International of Geological Sciences (IUGS), Mr. Benjamin Van Wyk De Vries, member of IUGS, Mr. Kristof Vandenberghe, UNESCO’s Chief of Section for Earth Sciences and Geoparks, UNESCO's Global Geopark Secretariat and a number of Geopark Management Boards around the world (finalizing the Applications to submit to UNESCO).

At the meeting, IUGS representative introduced and disseminated new Guidelines for the assessment of the international significance of geological heritage in UNESCO Global Geopark Applications. This guideline was developed by IUGS under the regulations of the International Geosciences and Geoparks Programme, in close consultation with IUGS experts and the Global Geoparks Network. Delegates attending the meeting actively discussed and clarified contents related to geological heritage included in the Applications submitted to UNESCO for the recognition of a Global Geopark.

Mr. Kristof Vandenberghe, UNESCO’s Chief of Section for Earth Sciences and Geoparks, UNESCO Global Geoparks Secretariat spoke at the meeting

The online meeting program with UNESCO helps Lang Son province speed up the progress of completing the application submitted to UNESCO for recognition of Lang Son Global Geopark (the submission will be in November 2023) based on careful study of UNESCO's Guidelines, especially New guidelines for the assessment of the international significance of geoheritage in UNESCO Global Geopark Applications (completing the description of geoheritage and demonstrating the international significance of Lang Son Geopark geoheritage).

          Pham Huong