Peculiarities of legal protection of natural world heritage sites in Australia on the example of the Great Barrier Reef

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Abstract

The study examines the practice of legal protection of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Site located in Australia. It reflects the main content of the decisions of the World Heritage Committee and the International Union for Conservation of Nature on the protection of the Great Barrier Reef, looks at the features of its management as a World Heritage Site (hereinafter also - WHS), as well as regulatory and organisational solutions aimed at preventing threats to the ecological state of the Great Barrier Reef WHS. The analysis of the legal framework and practice of protection of World Heritage Sites allows to conclude that some elements of the Australian experience can be used to strengthen the institutional and legal framework of the environmental regime of Lake Baikal. The proposal to develop a management plan for the Lake Baikal World Heritage Site in accordance with the requirements and standards of the World Heritage protection system, as well as to adopt special strategic development plans has been formulated. According to the authors, to ensure the effective development of specific management decisions, it is necessary to establish normatively the general principles of management plan formation. Based on the practice of engaging local communities in the management of World Heritage Sites and Australian experience of organising Marine Advisory Committees, the authors have verbalized a proposal to create an Advisory Council of representatives of various spheres of society, operating in the territory of the Lake Baikal World Heritage Site, environmental organisations and representatives of the public.

About the authors

Roman Yu. Kolobov

Irkutsk State University; Irkutsk Scientific Center SB RAS

Author for correspondence.
Email: roman.kolobov@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-1488-7530
ResearcherId: H-4644-2016

Candidate of Legal Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of International and Comparative Law, Law Institute of Irkutsk State University; Researcher of the Department of Regional Economic and Social Problems of the ISC SB RAS

1 K. Marx str., Irkutsk, 664003, Russian Federation; 134 Lermontov str., Irkutsk, 664033, Russian Federation

Yaroslava B. Ditsevich

Irkutsk Law Insitute (branch) of the University of Prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation

Email: yaroslavadi@mail.ru
Candidate of Legal Sciences, Associate Professor, Leading Researcher of the Department of Theory and History of State and Law, Irkutsk Law Institute (branch) of the University of the Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation, Head of the Association of Youth Environmental Associations of the Baikal Region "EcoMolodezh", Senior Counsellor of Justice 1 Shevtsova str., Irkutsk, 664035, Russian Federation

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Copyright (c) 2023 Kolobov R.Y., Ditsevich Y.B.

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