The foundation stone of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Category 2 Centre on World Natural Heritage Management and Training for Asia and the Pacific Region was laid at Wildlife Institute of Indiaon 30 August 2014 by Shri. Prakash Javadekar, the Hon’ble Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (Independent Charge), Government of India.The Centre’s mission is to strengthen implementation of World Heritage Convention in Asia and the Pacific Region by building the capacity of all those professionals and bodies involved with World Natural Heritage Site Inscription, Protection, Conservation and Management in Asia and the Pacific Region, through training, research, dissemination of information and network building. The Centre will (a) conduct short-and long-term capacity-building activities, including workshops, courses and international conferences; (b) undertake research on identified priority areas related to Natural World Heritage protection and management, with particular focus on models of community participation; (c) develop and maintain a documentation Centre accessible to the public on Natural World Heritage issues relevant to the region, (d) implement programmes for the exchange of experts with other regional resource Centres and (e) facilitate the development of a World Heritage site managers' regional network and coordinate its activities with the States Parties to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention and the network of existing Category 2 Centres related to World Heritage. While UNESCO has established such Centres in eight other countries viz. China, Norway, South Africa, Bahrain, Mexico, Italy, Brazil and Spain on Culture Heritage, the Centre at WII is the world’s first Centre dealing with Natural World Heritage.

In the event organized to commemorate the foundation stone laying of UNESCO Centre at WII, Dr. V.B. Mathur, Director of WII provided an overview of the Centre and highlighted that this Centre marks the global recognition of WII’s strength to contribute to national as well as international efforts to preserve Natural Heritage. The Hon’ble Union Minister Shri. Prakash Javadekar, in his address to large gathering of professionals and staff (http://youtu.be/2bjOuKbzydI), credited the efforts of WII including the establishment of UNESCO Centre and various applied research projects providing space for integrated development and conservation planning. He elaborated on his keen interest and appreciation of nature and reiterated his commitment for safeguarding the natural wealth of the country. He welcomed the role played by WII in providing technical advices to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change and pledged support for overall welfare of the organization and nation building.

The foundation stone laying and subsequent commemorate events were attended by various dignitaries including Dr. S.S. Garbyal, Director General of Forests & Special Secretary to Govt. of India, Shri. A.K. Srivastava, Additional Director General of Forests, MoEFCC, Chief Executives and senior officials of sister Organizations in Dehradun and WII family members consisting of faculty members, staff, research fellows and students. During the event, the Hon’ble Minister released an ENVIS Bulletin on ‘Coastal and Marine Protected Areas in India: Challenges and Way Forward’, edited by Dr. K. Sivakumar, Scientist-E of WII. As a token of appreciation and gratitude, the Hon’ble Minister was also presented with newly created line drawing of the Institute’s campus by Director WII, Dr. V.B. Mathur and a framed photograph of a rare plant, Brahma Kamal (Saussurea obvallata), found in the high altitutes of the Himalaya, by Dr. B.S. Adhikari, Scientist-E of WII.In the end, Dr. P.K. Mathur, Dean of WII, summarized the entire process and duly acknowledged the Hon’ble Minister and all others who participated in the event