Bonn, 24 October 2007 - The AEWA Secretariat joined the City of Bonn and numerous other international organisations in the UN Day celebrations at the city’s market square this weekend. This annual event marks the anniversary of the UN charter, which entered into effect on 24 October 1945. Germany, which is host country to AEWA, CMS and a number of other UN-Agencies based in Bonn, joined the United Nations in 1973.

The AEWA Secretariat shared an exhibition tent with the Convention on Migratory Species, its Bonn-based Agreements and other UN Bonn organisations, programmes and offices such as the Secretariat of the Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the United Nations Volunteers (UNV).

About 10,000 people came to visit the tents where members of the AEWA Secretariat team were present to answer questions and to hand out posters, stickers and other information material at our stand. Prominent visitors to the CMS Family stand included Ms Baerbel Dieckmann, Lady Mayor of the City of Bonn and Mr Siegmar Gabriel, Environment Minister of Germany; and Mr. Jochen Flasbarth from the Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (Germany) as well as a group of children from the Bonn International School (BIS), who left our tent armed with blue UN-balloons and plenty of colourful posters and stickers depicting migratory birds and their flyways for display in their classrooms. Later on that day a large flock of cranes were spotted soaring directly above the city’s main market square – it was almost as if they wanted to participate in this eventful day, which was enjoyed by all.