May 2003 The Committee to Review Candidates of World Natural Heritage of Japan selected the Ogasawara Islands, along with Shiretoko (Hokkaido) and the Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa), as a candidate for the UNESCO World Natural Heritage designation.
January 29, 2007 A Tentative List, including Ogasawara, was submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre to announce the country’s intention to nominate the islands as a World Natural Heritage site.
January, 2010 The Nomination describing the significance of the Ogasawara Islands was submitted to the World Heritage Centre along with the Ogasawara Islands Management Plan, a plan for conservation of the heritage values for the future.
July 2010 The International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an advisory body of UNESCO, conducted an on-site survey at the Ogasawara Islands. IUCN recognized the measures by the Village to mitigate the impact of introduced non-native species, as well as cooperative work with the related organizations and NPOs, and also requested enlargement of the protected oceanic area and more detailed explanation of the buffer zone.
May 7, 2011 IUCN recommended UNESCO to designate the Ogasawara Islands as a World Natural Heritage site.
June 24, 2011 The 35th Session of the World Heritage Committee formally designated the Ogasawara Islands as a World Natural Heritage site.
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