On Sept. 7 2022, the 7th AsiaPacific Geoparks Network Symposium was held in Satun UGGp, Thailand, with a theme of "UNESCO Global Geoparks: “Building Sustainable Communities". Due to the impact of COVID-19, the conference was held in an "offline + online" format for eight days. Alxa Desert UNESCO Global Geopark management team attended the meeting online.

The representatives from UNESCO Global Geoparks Secretariat, the Global Geoparks NetworkExecutive Board, the Asia-Pacific Global Geoparks Network and the UNESCO Global Geoparks Youth Forum delivered keynote reports. During the conference period, the organizers also hold academic symposium on special topic, poster exhibition, geological exhibition, intangible cultural heritage exhibition and other activities. As a member of the Asia Pacific Geopark Network, Alxa Desert UNESCO Global Geopark was featured in the keynote report delivered by Professor JIN Xiaochi, APGN Coordinator, showing the unique geological resources of AlxaDesert UGGp to the world.  Moreover, Alxa Desert UGGp has actively participated in the election of the Advisory Committee and APGN coordinators.

It is reported that the APGN is a regional geoparks network organization in Asia and Pacific,as an important part of the global geopark network. Currently, there are 177 UNESCO global geoparks, among which 66 are members of APGN. The Asia Pacific Geoparks Network Symposium are held every two years.It has been held in Malaysia, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, Guizhou (China) and Indonesia, providing an effective platform for geopark managers and researchers in the Asia-Pacific region to exchange,share and communicate.

▲会议现场Alxa DesertUGGp management team are watching the opening ceremony

▲The desert landform of Alxa Desert UGGp is showing in the conference by Prof. JIN Xiaochi