Con Dao National Park in Ho Chi Minh City has officially been awarded the prestigious IUCN Green List certification, becoming Vietnam’s third and the world’s 101st protected area to receive the global recognition for effective and equitable conservation management.

Delegates unveil the Green List emblem displayed within the campus of the Con Dao National Park Management Board.

The certificate was presented on November 29 at a ceremony co-organised by the park’s management board and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) at the park headquarters on Con Dao island.

The IUCN Green List is the world’s leading standard recognising well-governed and successfully managed protected and conserved areas.

It includes 17 criteria and 50 indicators across four pillars: good governance, sound design and planning, effective management, and successful conservation.

Beyond certification, the standard helps protected area managers identify gaps and strengthen performance.

Con Dao began its Green List journey in 2020, undergoing rigorous self-assessment and evidence collection. The park demonstrated strong governance capacity and robust conservation achievements despite challenging conditions, completing the candidate phase in just three months -a record in Vietnam.

Dr. Dindo Campilan, IUCN Regional Director for Asia and Oceania, said the certification marks a milestone that calls for continued and expanded success.

As Con Dao, formerly in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, becomes part of HCM City after its merger with Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Binh Duong provinces, the island will have greater opportunities to align conservation with sustainable development, and IUCN stands ready to support its ambition to become a model protected area in Asia, he said.

Nguyen Khac Pho, director of Con Dao National Park’s management board, said the certification acknowledged the park’s commitment to international standards.

The park joins Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve and Cat Tien National Park as the country’s three Green List sites.

Joining the IUCN Green List enables the park to use the management effectiveness tracking tool (METT), with procedures standardised in accordance with global benchmarks. The recognition opens new opportunities for international cooperation and access to conservation funding.

Con Dao National Park protects more than 1,725 marine species, over 1,000 hectares of coral reefs, and 300 hectares of seagrass beds.

The island’s terrestrial biodiversity includes over 1,077 plant species and 155 animal species, including several endemic and endangered species such as sea turtles, dugongs, Con Dao black squirrels, swiftlets and red-footed boobies.

A standout achievement is the recovery of sea turtle populations.

Between January 2023 and November 2025, more than 2,100 nesting turtles laid over 6,300 nests containing more than 604,000 eggs.

More than 436,000 hatchlings were released to the sea – a significant boost for marine biodiversity.

The park includes 5,890 hectares of evergreen tropical forest, accounting for 77.5% of the archipelago’s natural area, and a 14,000-hectare marine protected zone.

These areas are recognised in national plans on forestry, marine spatial planning, fisheries resources protection and biodiversity conservation, with a long-term vision to 2050.

Transparent management practices and strong community participation have played a vital role in helping the park secure and maintain its status.

Addressing the ceremony, Nguyen Huu Thien, Deputy Director of the Department of Forestry and Forest Protection under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, stressed that this is not only a recognition but also a commitment to action. Protecting Con Dao National Park is a strategic measure to implement international commitments, including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).

Bui Minh Thanh, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, affirmed that the city aims to develop Con Dao into a standard model of conservation and sustainable development. Con Dao is envisioned as a green, smart, and modern island, with technology widely applied in forest, marine, and tourism management.

The IUCN Green List status for Con Dao was endorsed in September by IUCN Director General Grethel Aguilar, and officially announced at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi in October.

Asia currently hosts 31 Green List sites, accounting for 30% of the global total.

Eight additional national parks and reserves in Vietnam are now participating in the Green List process.

The achievement affirms Con Dao’s global standing and reflects the country’s ongoing commitment to biodiversity protection and sustainable development.

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