Paris, January 22 (No.2001-10)- UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura today called for an international mobilisation to save the Galapagos from the oil spill that is threatening the unique flora and fauna for which the Archipelago was inscribed on the World Heritage List.

Mr Matsuura declared: “The Galapagos is a unique wildlife sanctuary containing animal and plant species not to be found anywhere else on our planet. International recognition of the uniqueness of the archipelago has won it a place on the World Heritage List and the international community must now help Ecuador save this site. It is our hope that the example set by the United States in sending help to Ecuador so promptly will mark the start of international mobilisation for the Galapagos.

“The Galapagos islands are remarkable not only for their beauty, but also because of their unique species of animal and plant life which have proved invaluable to scientific research for more than a century and a half. The islands that played such a decisive role in Darwin’s research still have much to teach us and their preservation is a test of our willingness to safeguard diversity on our planet, an inestimable and fragile resource crucial for us all.”

The Galapagos National Park, comprising the terrestrial part of the archipelago, was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1978. UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee and the Government of Ecuador have been considering extending equal protection to the marine areas of the archipelago. Protection of these areas was upgraded in 1998, when a Special Law for the conservation of the Galapagos was adopted. As a result, nearly 130,000 square kilometres of coastal and marine waters of the archipelago, immediately adjacent to the terrestrial World Heritage sites, were given enhanced protection.

In 2000, the Government of Ecuador nominated these marine areas for inclusion in the Galapagos World Heritage site. A mission of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) to the Galapagos islands has been scheduled for late February 2001 to evaluate the proposed marine extension to the World Heritage site. At its next session, in December 2001, the World Heritage Committee will decide on the expansion of the boundaries of the World Heritage area as proposed by the Government, on the basis of the findings of the IUCN mission.

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