n September 2015, the 193 countries of the UN General Assembly adopted the 2030 Development Agenda titled "Transformingourworld: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development". This agenda outlines the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the associated 169 targets. The SDGs provide clear guidelines and targets for all countries to adopt in accordance with their national  priorities and in the context of  global challenges faced by our planet at large. The adoption and implementation of SDGs is a universal commitment, of developing as well as developed nations; thus they unite us together to make a positive change for both people and planet.

As valuable, non-renewable resources for the sustainable development of human society, UNESCO Designated sites (namely World Heritage sites, World Biosphere Reserves and UNESCO Global Geoparks) are important archives  of the development of human civilizations and various geological, biological and ecological  Earth system processes. They provide opportunities to develop sustainable paths to harmonious development that satisfy human aspirations, natural environment and cultural continuity. In the UNESCO Programme and Budget for 2018-2021 (39 C/5), UNESCO’ Sector of Natural Sciences hasset Expected Result7: "Member States have developed UNESCO-designated sites as learning sites for inclusive and comprehensive approaches to environmental, economic and social aspects of sustainable development." Similarly, UNESCO Sector of Culture has set Expected Result 1: “Tangible heritage identified, protected, monitored and sustainably managedby Member States, in particular through the effective implementation of the 1972 Convention.

The environmental, social and economic characteristics of UNESCO Designated sites form a foundation for designing and implementing programs and initiatives that will enable these sites to contribute towards the above mentioned UNESCO results as well as the broader UN 2030 agenda for international cooperation. Their physical, chemical, biological, ecological and societal features allow the smart use of multi-platform, multi-band and multi-mode remote sensing technologies to reflect their geometric and spectral features,  which in turn enable us to to identify other features that make the sites unique,distinct and valuable.In this way, remote sensing technologies have remarkable potential for identifying, monitoring andpreserving these sitesin a sustainable way.

HIST and its host institution - Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth (RADI) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences,in collaboration with UNESCO World Heritage Center and the Secretariats for MAB Program and UNESCO Global Geoparks Programme,are convening Huangshan Dialogue every two years at Huangshan City, Anhui Province, China, home to  the Huangshan Mountain and Scenic Area which is one of the few sites of the world that is simultaneously  a World Heritage site and a  Global Geopark and a potential World Biosphere Reserve.  The Dialogue is dedicated to learning from the past and enhancing the future role of science and technology in geo-spatial planning for the identification, nomination, conservation, monitoring,managementand sustainable development of UNESCO designated places and the regions in which they are embedded. 

The 3rd Huangshan Dialogue on UNESCO Sites and Sustainable Development will focus on the theme: "UNESCO Sites Facilitating Sustainable Development". Scientists and site managers as well as experts from UNESCO, IUCN, ICOMOS and other relevant international organizations will come together to share their knowledge and experience on the following 5 topics in additionto plenary sessions of invited key-note speakers: "Monitoring Methodologies and Technologies for UNESCO Sites","Disaster Risk Assessment and Mitigation for UNESCO Sites", "Multi-stakeholder Engagement for the Sustainable Development of UNESCO Sites", "Sustainable Tourism of UNESCO Sites" and "Cooperation and Common Development among UNESCO Sites along the One Belt and One Road". Through free and open exchange of ideas, knowledge, lessons and experience among the participants, I hope, new methodologies and sustainable partnerships  will be developed to findout how UNESCO Designated sites could support and help implement the UN SDGs, as well as the  the 2 expected results for 2018-2021 defined byUNESCO’s Cultural and Natural Sciences Sectors which I referred to earlier.

I look forward to welcoming you all in Huangshan City on 31 October 2018.