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.

In preparation for the upcoming 8th Session of the Meeting of the Parties to AEWA (MOP8), more than 50 participants from predominantly African countries convened for a four-day online preparatory meeting organized by the AEWA Secretariat from 4-7 July 2022. Participants used the Pre-MOP meeting to discuss key issues to be addressed at AEWA MOP8, with a particular focus on matters considered to be of high priority for waterbird conservation in Africa.

On 15 February 2022, an outbreak of avian influenza was detected at the Prespa National Park, in Greece, resulting in mass mortality events that have severely impacted the Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus) breeding colony found in the Lesser Prespa Lake. The Dalmatian Pelican is classified as Near Threatened according to the IUCN and is listed under the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) – in Column A (categories 1a & 1c for the Black Sea & Mediterranean population) - and the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) – on both appendix I and II. These migratory waterbirds are known to nest in colonies running along south-east Europe to east-central Asia.

 The African Regional Preparatory Meeting for the 8th Session of the Meeting of the Parties to AEWA (Pre-MOP8) will take place from 4-7 July 2022. Due to COVID-19 restrictions still in place, the meeting will be held in a virtual format. The AEWA African Pre-MOP8 will provide an important opportunity for the AEWA Contracting Parties in Africa to deliberate on the key issues related to migratory waterbird conservation which will be addressed at the 8th Session of the AEWA Meeting of Parties (MOP8) and, in this regard, review relevant documents to be submitted to MOP8.