SHARM EL SHEIKH, Egypt, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on Sunday listed 15 new natural sites in eight countries to its green list of protected and conserved areas.

Jane Smart, IUCN global director for biodiversity conservation group, said that green listed sites are certified as being effectively managed and fairly governed, with a positive impact on local communities and nature.

"The new sites will serve and help change the narrative of conservation post 2020 set biodiversity goals," Smart said at the UN Biodiversity Conference 2018 in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt.

The sites are in Egypt, France, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Peru and the United Arab Emirates, bringing the total number of sites on the IUCN Green List to 40.

Smart revealed that six new sites have also been listed from China and that the country has committed to ensuring that 23 additional sites are enlisted before the 2020 UN Biodiversity conference to be held in Beijing.

Cristiana Palmer, UN Assistant Secretary General and Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, noted that the list is a good benchmark for quality management that should be copied by others.

The number of countries committing to the IUCN green list has grown from eight to 40. Some 250 candidate sites have now volunteered to achieve its standard to be included in the list.

The process of certification is voluntary and can take between six months and five years, during which time the sites work towards clear objectives and targets.

The UN Biodiversity Conference 2018 has been ongoing since Nov. 13 in Egypt's Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh and due to end on Nov. 29.

Representatives from over 190 states participate the conference under the slogan of "investing in biodiversity for people and plan."