Today Norway and the European Commission will be declared ‘Champions’ of waterbird conservation. The ceremony will take place during the Gala Dinner kindly offered by the Government of South Africa in the margins of the Seventh Meeting of the Parties to the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) currently underway in Durban.

Bucking a major general trend, the overall status of waterbird populations listed on the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) has slightly improved over the last ten years, says a new report. The findings were released ahead of World Migratory Bird Day, an annual, UN-backed global awareness-raising and environmental education campaign focused on migratory birds and the need for international cooperation to conserve them.

“Unifying our Voices for Bird Conservation” is the theme of World Migratory Bird Day 2018. Among the significant, but often underestimated threats to migratory birds across the African-Eurasian Flyways - the major bird migration corridors which links Europe, Africa and Western Asia - is lead poisoning. The UN Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA), two international environment treaties behind World Migratory Bird Day are also driving international efforts to tackle this global threat.

Migratory birds face an increasing number of threats while traveling huge distances. Their intercontinental flyways include key stopover sites that are essential for migratory birds to rest and refuel before continuing their journey. Celebrated in over 70 countries on or around 10 May, World Migratory Bird Day 2017 highlights the need for international cooperation to conserve migratory birds and their habitats for the benefit of mankind. The theme this year is “Their Future is Our Future – A Healthy Planet for Migratory Birds and People” which is closely linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.