MIRI: Sarawak Forestry Corporation’s (SFC) utmost priority is to champion biodiversity conservation.

In stating this, SFC chief executive officer Zolkipli Mohamad Aton said one of SFC’s core thrusts is to develop, enhance as well as promote nature-based and community-based ecotourism products.

“It is befitting for SFC to collaborate with our strategic partner, the Sarawak Museum Department as the custodian of archaeological sites, monuments and cultural landmarks to ensure Niah National Park, dubbed Borneo’s Cradle of Life to be listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

“The nomination dossier is scheduled for submission to the World Heritage Committee by February 2023, hence, this is a very strong indicator for us to step-up our game and unite to do our utmost best to ensure Niah National Park would be Sarawak’s second Unesco World Heritage Site, as per its counterpart, the Gunung Mulu National Park which was listed as a World Heritage Site in the year 2000.”

Zolkipli said this  at the International Conference on Niah National Park for World Heritage Site Nomination held at a hotel here, yesterday.

About 300 delegates attended the conference which was jointly organised by SFC and the Museum Department, in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Urban Development.

The four day conference which commenced yesterday until Sept 8 features specialists, scholars and stakeholders who will present thematic papers inclusive of culture, nature, tourism and community.

Zolkipli  said that a total of 15 papers will be presented during the conference.

Also present were Minister and Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah and Datuk Sebastian Ting, Miri City Council Mayor Adam Yii and Director of Museum Department Tazudin Mohtar.