Hangzhou to host 5th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves this month

The 5th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves (WCBR), a decennial event organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), will be held in east China's Hangzhou City from Sept 22 to 25.

The event will bring together some 4,000 delegates from over 150 countries and regions.

"This is the first time the decennial event ever held in Asia, and it is set to draw the widest participation from UNESCO member states. After the congress, the 37th session of the UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) International Co-ordinating Council will be held in Lin'an District of Hangzhou," said He Hongping, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, at a press conference in Beijing.

It is anticipated that a Hangzhou action plan will be released during the conference, which will guide the MAB Program for the next decade.

China has been systematically advancing scientific conservation efforts and has achieved significant progress, according to Qin Changwei, secretary-general of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO.

"China boasts 34 UNESCO biosphere reserves -- the most in Asia. We have also actively participated in the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network, with 49 sites -- ranking first in the world. Moreover, we have 19 world natural heritage sites, including natural and cultural heritage sites -- also the most globally. These achievements fully demonstrate China's rich natural resources, diverse ecosystems, and effective conservation outcomes," said Qin.

UNESCO launched the MAB Program in 1971 to promote sustainable management of biodiversity and human-nature interactions. It operates through the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR), which includes 759 biosphere reserves across 136 countries.

Every 10 years or so, UNESCO convenes the WCBR to evaluate progress, share experiences, and set future directions for the MAB Program. The last WCBR was held in Lima, Peru, in 2016, where the Lima Action Plan (2016-2025) was adopted.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for an official visit to China through Saturday.

This visit marks the first trip to China by a Canadian Prime Minister in eight years.

When briefing on the visit of Carney, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said China looks forward to taking this visit as an opportunity to enhance dialogue and communication, increase political mutual trust, expand practical cooperation, properly manage differences, address each other's concerns and consolidate the momentum of improvement in China-Canada relations to bring greater benefit for the two peoples.