UNESCO World Heritage Committee refers the Kaeng Krachan site for further work

Meeting in Paris in October, the World Heritage Committee has decided to refer the nomination of the Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex back to the Royal Thai Government “in order to allow it to more fully address the concerns that have been raised by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights concerning Karen communities within the Kaeng Krachan National Park, including the implementation of a participatory process to resolve rights and livelihood concerns and to achieve a consensus of support for the nomination of the property that is fully consistent with the principle of free, prior and informed consent”

FPP welcomes this decision and the leadership that the Committee members have shown in ensuring that their own guidance on the need to secure free, prior and informed consent must be followed in the preparation of nominations to the Committee.