Rome/Italy: 1-5 December
2008 - The 9th Meeting of the Conference
of the Parties to the Convention on the
Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild
Animals (UNEP/CMS) will be held in Rome,
1-5 December 2008. 300 representatives from
governmental and non-governmental organizations
as well as scientists will come together
to discuss urgent conservation responses
to address the rapid decline of migratory
animal species across the globe. “2010 and
Beyond: Wildlife Renaissance” is the theme
of CMS COP9. CMS, also called the Bonn Convention,
is an international treaty concluded under
the aegis of the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) dedicated to the conservation
of migratory animals such as birds, whales
and dolphins, sharks, marine turtles and
elephants. CMS has committed itself to reducing
the loss of biodiversity, of migratory animals
and their habitats beyond 2010.
The 15th Meeting of
the CMS Scientific Council will be held
27-28 November. The Scientific Council provides
advice on scientific issues and priorities
for research and conservation. It also considers
the listing of new species on the Convention’s
two Appendices.
At this year’s meeting
International Single Species Action Plans
for the Lesser Flamingo, the White-winged
Flufftail, the Madagascar Pond Heron, the
Chinese Crested Tern and the Black-faced
Spoonbill have been tabled. Another focus
will be on migratory marine species and
CMS’s work on terrestrial mammals.
Highlights of CMS COP
9 will include:
1st Meeting of the Parties
to the CMS Agreement on the Conservation
of Gorillas and their Habitats: Negotiation
of action plans to protect gorilla populations
in their African range states (29 November)
Launch of the Year of
the Gorilla by Prince Albert II of Monaco
(1 December)
Presentation of the
UNEP/CMS Thesis Award sponsored by National
Geographic
Deutschland and Lufthansa to Dr Samantha
Petersen for her thesis “Understanding and
Mitigating Vulnerable
Bycatch in Southern African Trawl and Longline
Fisheries”
Listing of additional
animal species on the two Appendices of
the Convention
Appendix I
Mammals: Black Sea population
of the Bottlenose Dolphin, Irrawaddy Dolphin
and Atlantic Humpback Dolphin, West African
Manatee, Cheetah, Barbary Sheep
Bird species: Egyptian
Vulture, Saker Falcon
Appendix II
Mammals: NorthWest African
population of the Harbour Porpoise, Risso's
Dolphin, Clymene Dolphin, African Wild Dog,
Saiga Antelope
Fish: Mako Shark, Porbeagle
Shark, Spiny Dogfish
Adoption of Resolutions
to address threats to migratory species:
the impact of climate change on migratory
species, the impact of noise pollution on
whales and dolphins, by-catch and the response
to highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1
Signature of the Memorandum
of Understanding on the Conservation of
the Andean Flamingo and its habitats and
Memorandum of Cooperation with Chico Mendes
Institute (Ministry for the Environment,
Brazil)
International Meeting
on Migratory Sharks to conclude agreement
on sharks (6-8 December)
The conference will
be held at FAO Headquarters in Rome and
is being organised by the CMS Secretariat
and the Italian Ministry for the Environment,
Land and Sea.
UNEP/CMS is an international
environmental Convention dedicated to the
protection of avian, aquatic and terrestrial
animals, which migrate across political
borders. Countries which have become Parties
to the Agreement commit themselves to implementing
measures to conserve migratory animals and
the habitats on which they depend. Currently
110 Parties in Europe, Africa, America,
Asia and Oceania have joined the Convention.
Press Accreditation:
If you have not already
done so, please fill the registration form
and return it to the Secretariat.
Accreditation covers
the Ninth Meeting of the Conference of the
Parties.
For more information please visit our press
page, where updated details will be made
available regularly:
http://www.cms.int/press/
Veronika Lenarz
UNEP/CMS Secretariat
