Bonn, 26 November 2009 - In 2010,
AEWA celebrates its 15 years anniversary. To mark the occasion,
the AEWA Secretariat is preparing a small booklet describing
the early history of the development of the Agreement. Both
the AEWA Secretariat and the main author, Dr.
Gerard C. Boere, are already in possession
of a large number of historic photos and documents; however
relevant material for the period from 1985–
1995 is still missing. While most
of the formal documents have been secured, we would be very
interested in receiving personal notes and observations
from those who were directly involved in the development
of AEWA during the above mentioned period.

For example, photo material from the 1994
(Nairobi), 1995 (The Hague) and 1999 (Cape Town) meetings
as well as some from the first Working Group meeting in
The Hague in February 1990 already exists, but we would
like to ask all those, who were involved in the meetings
and events leading up to the completion of the Agreement
to also share their historic photos and documents with us.

In particular, we are looking for photos
taken at the Working Group which met during the
first CMS COP in 1985 in Bonn and which
drafted the Resolution on the Western Palearctic Anatidae
Agreement or any other photos of older CMS COPs
and other relevant events and documents.

Photos should be in high-resolution (if
possible) and original photos will be scanned and returned
to the sender. All photos used in the publication will be
fully credited, so please provide a full credit line for
each photo submitted.

Any additional documentation or photo material
relating to the period or meetings mentioned above would
be highly appreciated and will help make this publication
a comprehensive and interesting record of how AEWA evolved!

Please forward all photos and documentation to:

Dr. Gerard C. Boere

Dorrewold 22

7213 TG Gorssel

The Netherlands

Email: gcboere@planet.nl

Participants of the first consultative meeting on AEWA, which was organised back to back with CMS COP 4 in June 1994 in Nairobi, Kenya. The meeting reached consensus on almost all outstanding issues concerning the geographical area, species list and the Agreement text.

Participants of the ad-hoc Working Group which convened in February 1990 in The Hague, the Netherlands to discuss the preparatory work on an Agreement text and management plan for what later became AEWA. The meeting was chaired by Drs. Chris J. Kalden and the instrument under development was at this time still called the Western Palearctic Waterfowl Agreement.