The Ministry of Environment and UNESCO on Feb. 23 in Paris will sign an agreement on jointly launching a global research and training center for internationally designated areas. Shown is Jeju Stone Park in the town of Jocheon-eup in Jeju City, Jeju Island. (Park's Facebook page)

By Cao Thi Ha

Jeju Island will house the world's first global center for research and training for internationally designated areas sponsored by UNESCO.

The Ministry of Environment on Feb. 22 said it will sign with UNESCO an agreement on Feb. 23 in Paris on jointly launching the Global Research and Training Centre for Internationally Designated Areas (GCIDA).

Jeju is the only place on Earth to host four UNESCO internationally designated areas: biosphere reserves, World Heritage, Global Geopark and Ramsar wetlands.

Construction of the center will use facilities at Jeju Stone Park in the town of Jocheon-eup in Jeju City.

This will be the world's first research and training center for the management and protection of multiple internationally designated areas. Its purposes will include researching related policies and responses to international trends; offering education and training for managers of such areas and interested parties; and forming partnerships with related organizations and a cooperative partnership between trainees and stakeholders.

"The government will actively support the center to boost its capacity for global research and training," said Ahn Se-chang, director general of the ministry's Nature Conservation Bureau. "We will share the outcomes of related research and education and training content with the international community and work with UNESCO in managing internationally designated areas."

shinn11@korea.kr