AEWA MOP7 Daily Coverage for Saturday, 8 December 2018

Durban, 9 December 2019 - On the fifth and closing day of AEWA MOP7 in Durban (Saturday, 8 December 2018), delegates heard final reports from the Chairs of the Credentials Committee and the two Working Groups, the first on Scientific and Technical Matters and the second on Financial and Administrative Matters. 

Resolutions were adopted on the Aichi Targets and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); Amendments to the AEWA Annexes; Definitions and Interpretation of Terms Used in AEWA Annex 3; Treatment of International Species Action and Management Plans; Conservation of Seabirds; Monitoring of Migratory Waterbirds; Revised Conservation Guidance; Climate-Resilient Flyways; and the Standing and Technical Committees.
 
The budget adopted takes account of inflation for the first time in ten years and only a very limited withdrawal from the trust fund was needed to reach a consensus. The UN scale of assessment for the contributions was adopted with a transitional period, having not been applied since MOP4. Parties were also urged to make voluntary contributions, particularly to facilitate the work of the Technical Committee and the implementation of the Strategic Plan and Plan of Action for Africa.
 
One Recommendation was also adopted concerning the Implementation Review Process.
 
South Africa as host of the Meeting was thanked for its hospitality and the offer from the Hungarian Government to host MOP8 in Budapest in 2021 was warmly welcomed. 
 
The Meeting concluded with valedictory remarks from Barney Kgope, Acting Chief Director for Biodiversity and Conservation at the South African Department of Environmental Affairs and Jacques Trouvilliez, the Executive Secretary of AEWA, who made the following statement during his closing remarks:
 
“During these days together, we have worked hard to deliver on our MOP7 slogan: “Beyond 2020: Shaping flyway conservation for the future”. I am very happy to witness the progress that we have made – but at the same time I know that we are all very conscious of the many challenges that still lie ahead of us. I wish to congratulate the Parties on the adoption of the new AEWA Strategic Plan for 2019-2027 and the Plan of Action for Africa, which both outline our path for the next decade in waterbird conservation. Although ambitious indeed, these two Plans outline what needs to be done if we are really serious about the fate of the species we have vowed to protect under the Agreement. I am confident that, collectively, with strong partnerships and sufficient resources and by going beyond our conservation bubble, we will be able to deliver on this ambitious roadmap. In fact, we must!” 
 
MOP7 attracted a total of 289 participants, including delegates representing 56 of the 78 AEWA Parties, 10 non-Parties and 42 observers from NGOs, IGOs and the press, making this one of the largest such meetings in the Agreement’s history. 
 
A closing press release for AEWA MOP7 was issued by the Secretariat at the end of the meeting on 8 December 2018. Photos and full (live stream) video coverage of the entire meeting can be found on the dedicated AEWA MOP7 Newsroom
 
Further Information: 
 
 

Last updated on 08 April 2019

Type: 
News item
Country: 
South Africa
Region: 
Africa
Species group: 
Birds