UNESCO Keeps Great Barrier Reef Off ‘In Danger’ List After Pushback From Australia

Assorted reef fish swim above a staghorn coral colony as it grows on the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Cairns, Australia, on Oct. 25, 2019. Lucas Jackson/Reuters

The Great Barrier Reef will not be added to a list of World Heritage Sites that are “in danger” after a UN panel on Friday agreed to defer a vote until 2022 amid pushback from Australia.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee was held virtually in the Chinese city of Fuzhou. The committee members agreed to an amendment that would require Australia to produce an updated report on the state of the reef by February 2022 when a vote could follow on whether to classify the site as in danger.