Tanzania has reaffirmed the global significance of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, telling the 48th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee that every ancient footprint preserved at the site is part of humanity's shared heritage and offers irreplaceable evidence of human origins.
Addressing a side event organised by the Government of Tanzania, Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) Conservation Commissioner Abdul-Razaq Badru said Ngorongoro is the only place in the world where scientifically verified evidence of the earliest stages of human evolution has been preserved in its original setting.
He cited the internationally recognised Laetoli footprints and the Olduvai Gorge archaeological sites as key records that continue to shape scientific understanding of humanity's beginnings.
"Ngorongoro is not only a premier tourism destination but also the place where the scientific story of humankind began," Mr Badru told delegates.
He said the preserved footprints at Laetoli are more than archaeological discoveries, describing them as a lasting reminder of humanity's common ancestry and a symbol of the need to safeguard the world's cultural and natural heritage.
Mr Badru also noted that the Ngorongoro area preserves evidence of early stone-tool technology, marking one of the earliest known stages of human innovation and adaptation.
The side event was convened to provide delegates with an updated understanding of the conservation status of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Tanzania's ongoing efforts to protect its outstanding universal value.
The 48th Session of the World Heritage Committee is considering new nominations to the World Heritage List while reviewing conservation measures aimed at strengthening the protection and sustainable management of sites of exceptional cultural and natural importance across the globe.
