The Martinique Natural Park is continuing its public consultation on Martinique's bid for World Heritage status
This Friday, April 26, at the Morne Rouge Town Hall, the Martinique Nature Park (PNM), in partnership with the Territorial Collectivity of Martinique, the French government, and the City of Le Morne Rouge, invites the public and local stakeholders to the BOKANTAJ UNESCO Tour; a new stage in the series of public events organized in connection with the nomination of «The Volcanoes and Forests of Mount Pelée and the Northern Pitons of Martinique» for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
To finalize this application, developed in collaboration with the people of Martinique, Louis BOUTRIN, president of the PNM, wished once again to reach out to elected officials, the general public, and all of Martinique’s key stakeholders (the business community, associations, project leaders, etc.). This new round of public consultations, titled the “BOKANTAJ UNESCO Tour,” aims to update Martinique’s World Heritage nomination dossier to ensure it is fully aligned with both the needs and the resources currently available in the territory.
The UNESCO BOKANTAJ This is the result of an extensive consultation process initiated long ago by the Martinique Natural Park, involving more than 250 hours of discussions, a regional conference with the managers of the property, a seminar on the management of UNESCO-designated sites in the Caribbean, an academic competition, and various awareness campaigns that engaged more than 400,000 people (in Martinique and elsewhere) and invited stakeholders to share their projects for “Martinique: Wonder of the World.” The approximately 60 meetings held with the 19 municipalities involved led to the drafting of 19 resolutions approving the project. Even today, this collaborative effort continues with local governments and regional stakeholders, who have already jointly defined the boundaries, zoning, regional development plan, and management measures.
The updated report, incorporating the key points identified following these meetings, will be submitted in January 2020, with the support of the Ministry of Ecological and Solidarity Transition. In a letter addressed to the President of the PNM dated February 21, 2019, François DE RUGY outlined the steps already taken at the national level to ensure that the nomination of «The Volcanoes and Forests of Mount Pelée and the Northern Pitons of Martinique» is given priority next year for France’s inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
This project, which is of fundamental importance to the region, therefore remains a candidate for this prestigious award—an exceptional opportunity for Martinique that holds great promise for the preservation and promotion of our cultural and environmental heritage as part of a broader initiative.
The BOKANTAJ UNESCO Tour, which will take place on Friday, April 26, at 6:30 p.m. at the Morne Rouge Town Hall, will be another opportunity to strengthen the nomination file for «Volcanoes and Forests of Mount Pelée and the Northern Pitons of Martinique,» which will be submitted in January 2020 to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.
Attached below is the invitation to this public meeting.
