A draft UNESCO decision has left Australia's Great Barrier Reef — the world's largest coral reef system — off the United Nations (UN) agency's list of endangered sites, much to Canberra's relief.
The UN had previously expressed "utmost concern" about the future of the Great Barrier Reef over mass coral bleaching and the impact of climate change.
UN scientists had called for the reef to be added to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) list of world heritage sites that are in danger.
However, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee said in its draft report — which was unveiled on Friday night in Paris — that Australia was working towards addressing concerns of the impacts to the reef, including climate change, water quality, sustainable fisheries management and land clearing.
At the same time, the draft decision also raised concern over the reef's declining hard coral cover following mass bleaching in 2024 and 2025.
