Op ed

Opinion: Time to Take a Lead by Taking Lead Out of the Environment

While it  will undoubtedly take some time to discover what lay behind the emergence and spread of the coronavirus and for our societies to recover from the effects of the disease and the economic, health and social repercussions of the shutdown, Jacques Trouvilliez says that there is one environmental challenge which could be solved at a stroke – the continued use of lead ammunition which is poisoning wildlife, habitats and people.

24 June 2020

Opinion: AEWA - International Environmental Cooperation At Its Best

Internationalism seems to be falling out of vogue, but Jacques Trouvilliez, Executive Secretary of the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA), holds his organization up as an example of how conservation objectives are being effectively achieved through cross-continental cooperation. The Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) is a good, and certainly not the only example of international cooperation working well. It is a UN Treaty which operates on the basis of concerted actions. It has 78 members including the European Union with another 41 countries within its area eligible to join.

03 December 2018

Opinion: Banning lead shot: Good for birds & people (World Migratory Bird Day is May 12-13)

World Migratory Bird Day this year breaks new ground with the campaign being a joint exercise between UN Environment's Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) and the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) on the one hand, and Environment for the Americas (EFTA) on the other. As well as unifying their voices in the cause of bird conservation, as part of the UN Environment's broader campaign to combat pollution, AEWA and CMS hope to learn from EFTA's experience of conservation work in the Americas.

14 May 2018

Opinion: Working Together for Migratory Birds and People Across Africa and Eurasia

One lesson that has been well and truly learned in nature conservation is that for policies to be really effective countries have to collaborate to address common problems.

10 November 2015

Opinion: Natural World Heritage Sites – Sharing the Future

The 39th Session of the World Heritage Committee is meeting in Bonn, a stone’s throw from the headquarters of the Convention on Migratory Species and several of its associated agreements. Jacques Trouvilliez, Executive Secretary of the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA), and Rüdiger Strempel, Secretary of the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat, examine the importance of those sites inscribed in the list for their natural rather than cultural qualities.

06 July 2015

Opinion: Renewable Energy – How to Make It More Bird-Friendly

The slogan for this year’s World Migratory Bird Day (May 9) campaign is “Energy – make it bird-friendly”. Jacques Trouvilliez, Executive Secretary of the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) and Patricia Zurita, Chief Executive of BirdLife International, explain how important it is to ensure that major infrastructure and policy relating to low carbon and renewables are developed in harmony with nature.

11 May 2015

Opinion: How Lax Legislation Is Killing the Wildlife in Europe

Reports of elephants and rhino being massacred for their tusks or horns due to demand in Asia often make the headlines. But illegal activities are not confined to trade in luxury items destined for markets in Asia – serious infractions of conservation law are happening in Europe too. Some countries have not fully transposed their commitments under international treaties and EU law in national legislation. Sometimes, excellent provisions contained in national laws are not effectively enforced. In other cases, such as skylarks, the number of animals taken legally are unsustainable. To prevent further declines, more realistic quotas should be set and better management measures adopted.

03 March 2015

Opinion: The Future of Wetlands, the Future of Waterbirds – an Intercontinental Connection

To mark the anniversary of the signing of the Ramsar Convention – an intergovernmental agreement seeking to protect wetlands of international importance – the 2nd of February each year is celebrated as “World Wetlands Day” which is a significant event in the calendar of the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) too. Jacques Trouvilliez, Executive Secretary of AEWA, explains why.

02 February 2015

Opinion: To Conserve Arctic Species – Take Action in Africa

So great are the contrasts between the frozen empty expanses of the far north and Africa’s baking deserts, steamy rain forests and savannahs that any direct connections between the two seem far-fetched - if they indeed exist at all. In fact, migratory birds provide an environmental tie linking the Arctic and Africa and are the reason why the UN Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) and the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), the biodiversity working group of the Arctic Council, have entered a commitment to cooperate.

02 December 2014

Opinion: Renewable Energies – a Double-Edged Sword

Two United Nations bodies appear to be on collision course over the development of renewable energy. Bradnee Chambers, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Migratory Species, explains that, while renewable energy has advantages, there are some pitfalls to be avoided.

25 October 2014