Article 1 In order to regulate the management of UNESCO Global Geoparks (hereinafter referred to as "Global Geoparks"), enhance the construction level of Global Geoparks, and promote the sustainable development of Global Geoparks, these Measures are formulated in accordance with the Operational Guidelines for UNESCO Global Geoparks (hereinafter referred to as the "Operational Guidelines") and relevant laws, regulations, and policies of China.
Article 2 For the purposes of these Measures, "Global Geoparks" refer to sustainable development areas with clear boundaries and appropriate size that have been recognized by UNESCO and possess geological heritage of global or international significance along with rich natural and cultural resources.
Article 3 These Measures apply to the management of all Global Geoparks across the country.
Article 4 The National Forestry and Grassland Administration is responsible for the organization, coordination, supervision, management, and professional guidance of Global Geoparks nationwide, and serves as the national competent authority to liaise with international organizations such as UNESCO on matters related to Global Geoparks.
Local forestry and grassland departments at or above the county level are responsible for the organization, coordination, supervision, management, and professional guidance of Global Geoparks within their respective administrative regions.
The management agency of a Global Geopark is responsible for the daily management of said geopark.
The National Geopark Network Center is responsible for organizing activities related to the Global Geoparks Network.
Article 5 The construction of Global Geoparks shall adhere to the principles of unified management, scientific planning, prioritized protection, and sustainable development.
Article 6 The National Forestry and Grassland Administration shall establish an expert database for Global Geoparks to provide technical support for the management, review, and sustainable development of Global Geoparks.
Article 7 The state encourages enterprises, public institutions, social organizations, and citizens to participate in the protection, research, education, and promotion of Global Geoparks through donations, technical support, and volunteer services.
Chapter II: Application
Article 8 The National Forestry and Grassland Administration shall establish a preliminary project pool for Global Geoparks (hereinafter referred to as the "Preliminary Pool").
For applications to the Preliminary Pool, the People's Government at the county level where the proposed area is located shall fill out the application form and submit it to the provincial forestry and grassland department. After review by the provincial forestry and grassland department, it shall be submitted to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. For areas spanning multiple counties, the application shall be made by the municipal People's Government to the provincial department; for areas spanning multiple municipalities, the relevant municipal People's Governments shall jointly apply; for areas spanning multiple provinces (autonomous regions or municipalities directly under the Central Government), the application shall follow the aforementioned procedures and be submitted to the respective provincial departments, which shall then jointly submit to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration after review.
The National Forestry and Grassland Administration shall examine the application projects and issue a confirmation letter.
Article 9 The application for a Global Geopark consists of two stages: domestic recommendation and international application.
Article 10 The domestic recommendation procedure shall follow the provisions of the second paragraph of Article 8.
An area applying for domestic recommendation shall meet the following conditions:
（1）Possess geological heritage of global or international significance.
（2）Possess natural and cultural resources of high value.
（3）Be a single, unified geographical area with clear boundaries and appropriate size, with no disputes over land, sea, or island ownership.
（4）Have achieved significant results in geological heritage protection, scientific research, nature education, and geo-tourism.
（5）The application has received wide support from local residents with high community participation.
（6）Have a clear management unit and professional technical personnel.
（7）Have been listed in the Preliminary Pool and operated according to Global Geopark standards for at least one year.
（8）Comply with other UNESCO regulations for Global Geopark applications.
The provincial forestry and grassland department shall organize a review and submit the following materials to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration:
（1）Recommendation documents, including the name, area, and boundaries of the proposed area; resource conditions and value; protection and management status; and the review opinion of the provincial department.
（2）Application materials, including the domestic application form; a comprehensive inspection report; video materials (no longer than 15 minutes); the self-evaluation document (Table A); the document of consent from the provincial People's Government; and public notice status. For matters involving national sovereignty, ethnic groups, religion, military, or international cooperation, a letter of consent from the relevant provincial department is also required.
Article 11 The National Forestry and Grassland Administration shall review the submitted materials, organize expert field inspections, and convene a Global Geopark recommendation review meeting. Areas that pass the review and have no objections during the public notice period may be designated as Global Geopark candidates (hereinafter referred to as "Candidates").
Article 12 The international application procedure shall follow the provisions of the second paragraph of Article 8 and the requirements of the Operational Guidelines.
Candidates shall prepare the letter of intent and application materials for Global Geoparks in accordance with the Operational Guidelines.
The provincial forestry and grassland department shall submit the letter of intent to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration by the end of April of the year the international application is initiated. After approval, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration shall submit the letter of intent to UNESCO by the end of June.
The provincial forestry and grassland department shall submit the application materials, signed by the head of the provincial People's Government and stamped with the government seal, to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration by the end of September. After joint review by relevant departments, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration shall submit the materials to UNESCO by the end of November.
Candidates shall supplement, modify, and improve application materials within the specified timeframe based on feedback from UNESCO.
Article 13 Candidates shall undergo field evaluations by UNESCO in the year following the submission of application materials, as required by the Operational Guidelines.
Article 14 Global Geopark application materials must be truthful, objective, and accurate. Except for reasons of force majeure, if circumstances such as severe human damage or threats to important resources, untruthful content or intentional concealment, or slow progress exceeding time limits occur during the application process, the Candidate shall be deemed to have automatically forfeited its qualification. The National Forestry and Grassland Administration will not accept applications from the involved province for the following two years.
Chapter III: Revalidation and Boundary Adjustment
Article 15 Global Geoparks shall regularly undergo revalidation by UNESCO. Revalidation includes desktop evaluation (mainly summary reports and progress reports) and field evaluation.
Article 16 Global Geoparks shall prepare summary reports and progress reports according to the Operational Guidelines. The summary report, reviewed by the National Geopark Network Center, shall be submitted to UNESCO between May and July of the year preceding the revalidation. The progress report, reviewed by the provincial forestry and grassland department, shall be submitted to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration by the end of December, which will then submit it to UNESCO by the end of January of the revalidation year.
Global Geoparks shall undergo field revalidation by UNESCO as required by the Operational Guidelines.
Article 17 Global Geoparks may apply for boundary adjustments.
If the adjusted area (the sum of added and reduced areas) is less than 10% of the original area, an adjustment report shall be prepared according to the Operational Guidelines. After approval by the provincial People's Government, the provincial department shall submit it to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration by the end of October, which will then submit it to UNESCO by the end of November.
If the adjusted area is equal to or greater than 10% of the original area, application materials must be resubmitted in accordance with the international application requirements specified in Article 12.
Article 18 To apply for a name change of a Global Geopark, a name change report shall be prepared according to the Operational Guidelines. After approval by the provincial People's Government, the provincial department shall submit it to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration by the end of October, which will then submit it to UNESCO by the end of November.
Chapter IV: Supervision and Management
Article 19 The management of Global Geoparks shall follow UNESCO statutes and national regulations, ensuring resource protection and regional sustainable development. Areas where Global Geoparks overlap with protected areas must also comply with the relevant control requirements of those protected areas.
Article 20 Provincial forestry and grassland departments shall guide and supervise Global Geopark management agencies in fulfilling international statutes and application commitments, providing necessary guarantees for protection, construction, and management.
For Global Geoparks spanning multiple provinces, the relevant provincial departments and application units shall establish a coordination mechanism.
Article 21 Global Geopark management agencies shall formulate protection and management systems, compile development action plans, and establish websites, databases, and archives.
Development action plans should include, but are not limited to: geological heritage protection, resource investigation and monitoring, interpretation system construction, nature education and geo-tourism, management and capacity building, community development plans, promotion, network exchange and cooperation, and funding guarantees.
The compilation of development action plans shall extensively solicit opinions from relevant departments, enterprises, community residents, and experts, and shall align with territorial spatial planning and various protected area plans within the geopark.
Management agencies shall work according to their development action plans and refine tasks within the evaluation cycle to ensure orderly development.
Article 22 Global Geopark management agencies shall establish and improve nature education and science popularization systems, improve facilities, and strengthen cooperation with research institutions and communities to raise public awareness.
Management agencies shall fulfill their responsibilities as members of the Global Geoparks Network, participate in global and regional geopark conferences, establish sister geoparks, strengthen international exchanges, train and recommend evaluators, and pay membership fees on time.
Article 23 Global Geopark management agencies shall submit an annual management report to the provincial forestry and grassland department by the end of January each year. The report should include resource protection and management, implementation of development action plans, nature education and geo-tourism, and domestic and international cooperation. The provincial department shall review and summarize these reports before submitting them to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration by the end of February.
Chapter V: Supplementary Provisions
Article 24 The use of the UNESCO Global Geopark logo must be authorized by UNESCO and comply with relevant regulations. It is strictly prohibited for commercial purposes or for authorization to third-party institutions.
Article 25 Relevant units and individuals shall comply with national confidentiality regulations and use, exchange, and store classified documents, data, and maps during the application, revalidation, and boundary adjustment processes in accordance with the law. All classified materials must undergo declassification procedures before submission.
Article 26 The National Forestry and Grassland Administration shall uniformly release the results of Global Geopark applications and revalidations based on UNESCO decisions.
Applications for transboundary Global Geoparks shall be studied and decided upon separately.
Article 27 The National Forestry and Grassland Administration is responsible for the interpretation of these Measures.
Article 28 These Measures shall come into effect on the date of promulgation.
National Forestry and Grassland Administration
January 25, 2024
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