Bonn, 5 April 2024 – The new English edition of the book “The East Atlantic Flyway of Coastal Birds: 50 Years of Exciting Moments in Nature Conservation and Research” was recently presented to the CMS and AEWA Secretariats by Peter Prokosch, the lead author and editor of the book.

The UNEP/AEWA Secretariat is pleased to announce the recruitment of Dr. Melissa Lewis as the Agreement’s new Species Officer. Well-known to many within the AEWA network, Melissa will be responsible for overseeing and guiding AEWA’s framework for species action and management planning.  A national of South Africa, Melissa’s educational and professional background lies predominantly in nature conservation law. She holds both a Bachelor, and Master of Law degree from Rhodes University (South Africa), a Master’s in environmental law from Lewis & Clark Law School (USA), and a PhD in this field from Tilburg University (the Netherlands).  

It is with great sadness that the AEWA Secretariat has learned of the untimely death of Richard (Rich) Hearn at the age of 52 following an illness. Rich was a much appreciated and active member of the AEWA Technical Committee, initially as the WWT representative, and then also representing IUCN in his role as Global Chair of the IUCN-SSC Duck Specialist Group. 

We are excited to announce that for the first time ever, the upcoming World Migratory Bird Day campaign in 2024 will focus on the importance of insects for migratory birds, and highlight concerns related to decreasing populations of insects. Insects are essential sources of energy for many migratory bird species, not only during the breeding seasons but also during their extensive journeys and greatly affect the timing, duration, and overall success of bird migrations.