Welcome to the 8th Session of the Parties to the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) in Budapest. I am delighted that we are able to host the meeting of this international convention, which is so important for nature conservation in Hungary. Although our original plans were thwarted by the Covid epidemic, we have done our utmost to ensure that the meeting can be held in person, albeit a year late.

AEWA's flagship report presented at the 8th Meeting of the Parties to the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA MOP8) in Budapest this week is the "Report on the Conservation Status of Migratory Waterbirds in the Agreement Area". The report brings together the latest available survey and monitoring data on waterbirds in the African-Eurasian Flyways to provide an overview of the status and trends of waterbird populations protected by AEWA.

Grey Crowned Cranes, icons of Africa’s grasslands and savannas, are found across 15 range states in Southern and East Africa.  Dependent on wetlands for breeding, Grey Crowned Cranes are found foraging in the natural wetland and grassland habitats in the catchment or in the adjoining agricultural lands.  They are listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red Data List and have declined by up to 80 percent over a 25-year period.  Focussing on addressing the key threats to the species, including habitat loss, disturbance by livestock and people, and the illegal captive crane trade, an International Action Plan was developed and endorsed at the 6th Meeting of the Parties of AEWA held in Bonn, Germany in 2015.

The UNEP/AEWA Secretariat would like to inform all participants of the 8th Session of the Meeting of the Parties to AEWA (MOP8) of a change of the meeting venue, as well as an adjusted schedule for the meeting. The changes come after the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat was recently informed by the Government of Hungary that the AEWA MOP8 could no longer be hosted at the Hungexpo convention centre, as originally scheduled.