Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has assigned the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO to work with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to take necessary steps in submitting dossiers seeking UNESCO’s recognition of “Ha Long Bay-Cat Ba Archipelago” as a World Heritage site.

Cat Ba Archipelago seen from above

Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh province has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site twice due to its aesthetic values, geology and caves.

Meanwhile, a dossier seeking a world heritage title for Cat Ba Archipelago was sent to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in September 2013.

After the evaluation process, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) submitted a decision to the centre at its 38th meeting in Qatar in 2014, recommending Vietnam to consider the extension of Ha Long Bay’s status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site to Cat Ba Archipelago in nearby Hai Phong city.

The IUCN in Vietnam also issued an official dispatch affirming the necessity of the extension.

Cat Ba Archipelago includes over 360 islands, including Cat Ba island in the south of Ha Long Bay. It was previously recognized as a world biosphere by UNESCO.

Seeking the world heritage status aims to maintain and conserve the endemic value of biodiversity of Cat Ba Archipelago, so as to boost socio-economic development of the locality and promote the image of the country.