Global Geoparks Network (GGN)

Some years after the institution of the European Network of Geoparks, in February 2004, a group of international experts of UNESCO in Paris discussed and agreed the establishment of the Global Network of Geoparks (Global Geoparks Network: www.worldgeopark.org e link www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/earth-sciences/geoparks).The Global Geoparks Network (GGN) was launched during the First International Conference on Geoparks, held in Pekino in June 2004 under the auspices of UNESCO. Among the network's objectives, the protection of the environment and the promotion of education activities on earth sciences to foster the sustainable local economic development. After the upgrade decided in Canada in September 2014, the GGN counts currently 111 territories with the participation of 35 nations in the World.

The GGN is organized through the Regional Networks of Geoparks:

• 64 territories in the EuropeanGeoparksNetwork [Austria (4 including 1 cross-border with Slovenia), Croatia (1) ,Denmark (1) Finland (1), France (5), Wales (2), Germany (6 including 1 cross-border with Poland ), Greece (4), England (2) Northern Ireland (1), Italy (9), Iceland (1), Norway (2), Netherlands (1), Portugal (4), Czech Republic (1) Republic of Ireland (2), Romania (1) Scotland (2) Slovenia (2 including 1 cross-border with Austria), Spain (10), Turkey (1), Hungary (2 of which one with the cross-border Slovak Republic)].

• 42 territories of the Asia - Pacific Geoparks Network (31 in China, 7 in Japan, 1 in Vietnam, 1 in South Korea, 1 in Malaysia, one in Indonesia).

• 4 in the Americas: Canada (2), Brazil (1), Uruguay (1)

• 1 in Africa: Marocco (1)

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