Four projects from AEWA Contracting Parties in Africa have been selected for funding under the latest cycle of the AEWA Small Grants Fund. The projects – from Kenya, Mauritania, Nigeria and Zimbabwe - will receive a total of some USD 40,000 for conservation activities that will benefit AEWA species and their habitats. The successful project proposals were selected from among 19 entries submitted from 14 African countries, following an evaluation and approval process that involved the AEWA Technical and Standing Committees as well as the AEWA Secretariat.

A Portuguese version of the Agreement text and its annexes as amended by the 6th session of the Meeting of the Parties in November 2015 is now available thanks to the kind financial support of the Government of Switzerland. The UNEP/AEWA Secretariat is confident that this Portuguese version of the Agreement text will facilitate the implementation of AEWA by Lusophone Contracting Parties at the national level, as well as, promote the accession of Lusophone non-Party Range States.

Achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement requires scaling up of renewable energy whilst ensuring ecological integrity and biodiversity protection. Species conservation is one of the challenges. CMS has established a Multi-stakeholder Task Force on Reconciling Selected Energy Sector Developments with Migratory Species Conservation – the Energy Task Force - to address this issue internationally.

The Corale Lirica San Rocco will be giving a benefit concert in Bologna on 13 May, as part of the annual celebrations of World Migratory Bird Day. The operatic choir, which gave a concert in Bonn the last four years, will now perform in its home city. The matinee will start at 11.00 hrs in the historical Cappella Farnese di Palazzo D’Accursio.