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| Leaders of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment presented ASEAN Heritage Park certificate to Bach Ma National Park at the AHP8 conference |
The ASEAN Heritage Parks (AHP) Programme is one of ASEAN's flagship initiatives, established to recognize and protect outstanding protected areas with special biodiversity and conservation value. The AHP Programme was officially established in 1984 through the ASEAN Declaration on Heritage Parks and Reserves. In 2003, a new Declaration on ASEAN Heritage Parks was issued to recognize additional ASEAN Heritage Parks.
Based on global commitments such as the 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 16), the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), and the ASEAN Biodiversity Plan (ABP), the AHP8 conference was held under the theme: “ASEAN Heritage Parks: ASEAN’s Contribution to Achieving the Biodiversity Plan”, focusing on promoting biodiversity targets in heritage parks and protected areas through nature-based solutions, climate action, sustainable resource management, and inclusive governance.
At the AHP8 conference, on the evening of December 3, Bach Ma National Park, along with Xuan Thuy National Park, Con Dao National Park, Pu Mat National Park, and Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve, was honored with ASEAN Heritage Park certification. Bach Ma National Park was endorsed as an ASEAN Heritage Park through an evaluation process, and was recognized in 2022.
The AHP Programme promotes cooperation among ASEAN member states to protect and enhance the management quality of national parks and protected areas, which are evaluated as exemplary models of outstanding conservation efforts in the region and worldwide. As of December 2025, there are 69 ASEAN Heritage Parks across 11 member states.