Reef fish swim above recovering coral colonies on the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Cairns, Australia October 25, 2019.
Defending Australia's efforts to protect the reef, Environment Minister Sussan Ley said Canberra would challenge the recommendation, saying some hidden agenda had influenced its findings.
Clearly there were politics behind it," Leys said, adding that Australia had conveyed its concerns to UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay.
China chairs the UNESCO committee, but when queried in parliament, Ley declined to say if she was pointing the finger at Beijing.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a government official told Reuters that China had been responsible for the committee's stance.
This recommendation is reached by world renowned scientists," said Richard Leck, Head of Oceans for the World Wide Fund for Nature, Australia.
Although a member of the panel, Australia is barred by convention from voting if it is unable to reach a consensus. »