The Centre informed the Bureau that following the announcement by the President of Mexico on 2 March 2000 to halt the proposed salt-works at the World Heritage site of El Vizcaino, letters have been written by the Director-General of UNESCO, the World Heritage Centre and the Chairperson welcoming the President’s decision. The President, in his reply, commented that the decision was made to protect the integrity of the site and that solutions have to be reviewed for the sustainable development of the region. The Centre informed the Bureau that El Vizcaino is included in a UN Foundation proposal on sustainable tourism development at World Heritage sites.
IUCN strongly supported and commended the State Party for its decision that transmits a clear message to the world about the importance of conserving natural values within World Heritage sites. This also demonstrated the values of focused missions such as the 1999 UNESCO-IUCN mission to this site. The Chairperson expressed his satisfaction with the decision and thanked the Mexican authorities.
The Bureau commended the State Party for all its efforts to ensure the conservation of the World Heritage values of the Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino. The Bureau suggested that the Committee commend the Mexican Government for its actions to implement the World Heritage Convention and encourage the authorities to collaborate with the Centre and other interested partners to design, develop and implement on-site projects to demonstrate possibilities for generating employment and income for the local communities.