Australia slams UN recommendation to list Great Barrier Reef as ‘in danger’

A UN committee recommendation on Tuesday to add the Great Barrier Reef to a list of “in danger” World Heritage Sites provoked a furious response from the Australian government, which said it had been blindsided by the move which it believed was politically motivated.

The long-term outlook for the world’s biggest coral reef system had deteriorated and action was needed to counter the effects of climate change, said the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation committee, which sits under UNESCO.

Australia’s Environment Minister Sussan Ley said Canberra would challenge the recommendation, saying it went against advice given just a week ago, and defended Australia’s protection of the reef.

“This is a complete subversion of normal process,” Ley said.

Australia has for years been battling to keep the Great Barrier Reef, a major tourist attraction that supports thousands of jobs, off the “in danger” list, a step that could potentially lead towards its eventual removal as a World Heritage Site.

In 2015, its lobbying included hosting UNESCO World Heritage delegates on a trip to an unspoiled stretch of the reef, but since then, scientists say, the world’s largest living ecosystem has suffered three major coral bleaching events due to severe marine heatwaves.

Ley said she and Australia’s Foreign Minister Marise Payne raised their concerns overnight with the Director General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay to convey Australia’s “strong disappointment” and bewilderment” at the proposal. “We were blindsided by a sudden late decision,” Ley said, referring to the proposal which she claims bypassed the 
UN committee’s normal consultation processes.
AFP.com, 22 June, 2021