Put natural World Heritage sites off limits for mining and oil exploration, IUCN says

More than a quarter of natural World Heritage sites are under pressure by existing or future mineral extraction. For this reason, IUCN is calling on the private sector, state-run companies and governments themselves to adopt and enforce the "no go" principle, meaning that no mining and/or mineral and oil exploration and production can be carried out in World Heritage sites. The call was made today in Québec City, Canada, during the 32nd session of the World Heritage Committee.

"World Heritage sites are of outstanding universal value and occupy less than 1% of the land surface of the Earth. It seems fully justified that they are off-limits for mining and oil operations" said Julia Marton-Lefèvre, Director General of IUCN, which is the technical advisory body on natural heritage to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention.

"Being declared a World Heritage site is a prestigious recognition, and comes with obligations regarding conservation and protection."

While IUCN welcomes commitments made by some companies or organizations such as the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), the Minerals Advisory Council of Canada and Shell, who have declared they will refrain from any mining operations in World Heritage sites, more needs to be done.

"From a conservation perspective, it is useless to have a company refraining from conducting extraction activities in a World Heritage site only to see another one taking its place" said Marton-Lefèvre.

Amongst the sites most vulnerable to mining and oil exploration is the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania, the Alexander von Humboldt National Park in Cuba and Mont Nimba in Côte d'Ivoire.

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Source: IUCN website