IGC P 20 19 UNE S C O an nual r e por t 3 1 I nt r oduc t i on De v e lo p in g an adv anc ed u nd er s t a nd i ng of t he E a r t h s f un dam ent a l pr oc es s e s an d r es our c e s is es s e nt i a l to r e ac h i ng UN s us t ai n abl e dev el o p m e nt go al s UN E S CO is t he on l y U ni t ed N at i o ns or g an i z at i o n wi t h a m an dat e to s u p por t re s e a rc h a nd c ap ac i t y in E ar t h S c i en c es and t he I nt er nat i o na l G eos c i en c e an d G eo p ar k s P ro g ra mm e is o ur f l ag s h i p T he I nt er nat i on a l G e os c i enc e a nd G e o par k s P ro g ra mme IGGP c o n s i s ts of t wo p illa r s 1 I nt er na t i o na l G eo s c i en c e P r og r am m e I G C P s in c e 19 7 2 ha s ha r nes s ed t he in t e lle c t u a l c ap ac i t y of a w or l dw i de n et w or k of ge os c i e nt i s t s to la y t he f ou nd at i on f or our p l a net s f ut ur e f oc us i ng on r es po ns i b l e a nd env i r on m e n t al re s o u rc e e x t r ac t i o n n at ur a l haz ar d r e s ili e n c y a nd pr ep ar ed n es s an d ad ap t abi l i t y in t he er a of a c h ang i ng c l i m at e 2 UNE S C O G l oba l G e o par k s U GGp ar e l a bor at or i e s f or s us t ai n abl e dev el o pm ent wh i c h p r om ot e t he r ec og n i t i on and m an ag em ent of Ea r t h he r i t ag e a nd t he s u s t a in a b ili t y of l o c al c om m u ni t i es As of D ec em ber 2019 t h er e ar e 14 7 UN E S CO G l ob al G eop a r k s wi t h i n 39 M em ber S ta te s UN E S CO s I nt er nat i o na l G e os c i e nc e an d G eop ar k s P r o g ra mme IGGP is i m p l em ent e d t hr o ug h t h es e t wo a ct i vi t i e s t he I nt er nat i o na l G e o sci e n ce P r og r am m e a co o pe r at i v e v ent u r e wi t h t he I nt er nat i o n a l Un i o n of G e ol o gi c al S c i e nc es I UG S an d t he UNE S C O G l obal G e o par k s Th ey c oo r di n at e t h e ir wo r k t hr oug h a s har e d UNE S C O S ec r et ar i at and j oi nt c o or d i nat i on m e et i ng s of t hei r r es pe c t i v e b ur eau w hi c h c o nv ene as n ec es s ar y The c hai r pe r s o ns of t he t wo r e s p e ct i ve Co u n c i l s co c ha i r t he IGG P A nnex 9 I n t he f r am e w or k of t he I n t e r na t i onal G e o sci e n ce an d G e op ar k s P ro g ra mme IGGP t hi s r ep or t is dr af t ed by UN E S C O IGG P S ec r et ar i at Thi s r ep or t s um m ar i z es UN E S CO IGC P S ec r et a r i a t 201 9 a c t iv it i e s T he r e s u lt s s c i ent i f i c ac h i e v em e nt s and t he pr oj ec t m ee t i ng a c t iv it i e s of 3 1 IG C P p r oj ec t s a nnu al r e por t s s u bm i t t ed as of 31 D ec em ber 2019 De t a il s of 26 new IG C P pr oj ec t p r op os al s r ec ei v ed as of 15 O c t ob er 2 019 f or t he ev al ua t i on of t he IG C P S c i e n t i f ic Bo a r d in M ar c h 2020 UNE S C O G l o bal G eo pa r k s 4 th C ou nc i l m e et i ng re p o rt is pu bl i s he d s e par at e l y a nd is av ai l abl e on UN E S C O s we b s i t e