9th StC, Trondheim, Norway, 2013

The Standing Committee (StC) is a subsidiary body to the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA), which was established in accordance with Resolution 2.6. It provides policy and administrative guidance on behalf of the Meeting of the Parties to AEWA (MOP) to the Agreement Secretariat between sessions of the (MOP). In this context, its main activities are to:

  • Provide guidance on the implementation of the Agreement and management of the Secretariat’s programmes;
  • Oversee the development and execution of the Secretariat’s budget and also all aspects of fundraising undertaken by the Secretariat;
  • Liaise with Parties and promote the flow of information to Parties and vice versa;
  • Maintain regular contact to non-Party Range States and promote their accession to AEWA; and
  • Report to the MOP on the activities that have been carried out between ordinary sessions of the MOP.

The Standing Committee membership comprises:

  • Representatives from five Contracting Parties, based on the principle of balanced geographical distribution (two from the Europe and Central Asia region, one from the Middle East and Northern Africa region, one from the Western and Central Africa region and one from the Eastern and Southern Africa region);
  • A representative of the host country for the next session of the Meeting of the Parties; and
  • A representative from the Depositary.

The Chairperson of the Technical Committee, as well as non-Party Range States may also be represented at meetings of the StC as observers.

The membership of the Standing Committee is reviewed at each ordinary session of the Meeting of the Parties.

For further details on the operations of the Standing Committee and its members, as well as the current composition of the Standing Committee, please see the Terms  of Reference for the Responsibilities of the Regional Members of the Standing Committee and the relevant Rules of Procedure.