KIGALI, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda welcomed the inscription of the country's Nyungwe National Park on the World Heritage List Tuesday, making it the country's first site to attain such status.

The announcement was made during an ongoing meeting of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh.

"This is a significant designation that will reinforce Rwanda's ongoing conservation efforts," said Rwanda government spokesperson Yolande Makolo on the social media network X, formerly known as Twitter.

Representing the government at the meeting, Jean Damascene Bizimana, the Rwandan minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement, said that this move would increase the park's worldwide popularity, spur tourist visits to the park, and enhance research activities related to the park.

"This inscription is not only a contribution to the preservation of Rwanda's natural heritage but also of particular significance to the Rwandan people since it is the first site inscribed on this universal list," Bizimana said in a statement.

UNESCO noted that the serial property represents an important area for rainforest conservation in Central Africa.

Established as a nature reserve in 1933, the forest became a national park in 2005 following the Rwandan government's efforts to enhance its protection and safeguard the thousands of endangered and endemic species it harbors.

Covering an expanse of 101,900 hectares, Nyungwe National Park stands as the largest block of natural forest in the region. Boasting remarkable biodiversity, it is home to over a dozen species of primates, 322 bird species, 200 identified orchids, and nearly 300 butterfly species, including several endemic to the park.

The park is managed by the African Parks Network, a non-governmental organization specializing in conservation, in partnership with the Rwandan government. Enditem

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