13. International Agreements
New Zealand has a history of involvement in international conservation as part of a global community with an interest in the conservation of the Earth's natural resources. New Zealand experts have been closely involved in the programmes of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) for many years. New Zealand's commitment to the international effort to conserve global biodiversity was confirmed by the ratification of the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1993. New Zealand also participates in other international fora relevant to the management of national parks. These include the Convention on Wetlands (the Ramsar Convention) and the World Heritage Convention.
International agreements serve to raise the profile of New Zealand's national parks. For example Te Wähipounamu/South-West New Zealand (which incorporates parts of several national parks), and the Tongariro National Park, are listed as World Heritage Sites under the World Heritage Convention.
POLICIES
13 International Agreements
13(a) A national park management plan will identify places that have been given international recognition in agreements that have been ratified or given legal standing in New Zealand. It should provide for the management of those places for the values for which they have received international recognition, where this is consistent with the purposes for which national parks are held in New Zealand.
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