On
the 23^rd and 24^th of September 2010,
an information and awareness-raising workshop on the accession
of Burkina
Faso to the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement
(AEWA) took place in Loumbila, Burkina Faso. The workshop
was jointly organized by the Ministry of Environment and
Livelihoods in Burkina Faso (MECV) and the AEWA Secretariat,
and its implementation was made possible thanks to a voluntary
financial contribution from the Swiss Government.

The workshop aimed to provide a forum for exchange of
information on AEWA-related issues between the different
institutions and organizations involved in the process
of Burkina Faso’s accession to AEWA, and subsequently
in the implementation of AEWA in the country, with the
ultimate goal of accelerating the accession process.

The workshop brought together
31 participants from the Burkina Faso public administration
(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation -
MAECR, Ministry of Economy and Finance and Ministry of
Environment and Livelihoods), non-governmental organizations
(International Union for the Conservation of Nature – IUCN
and the Foundation of Friends of Nature – NATURAMA,
the BirdLife Partner in Burkina Faso), and the AEWA Secretariat.

The opening ceremony was
presided over by the Honorable Minister of Environment
and Livelihoods, Mr.
Salifou Sawadogo (speech available in
French only), who highlighted the importance of Burkina Faso as
a passage
and wintering
area for migratory waterbirds.
The country annually hosts about 119 seasonal migrant species,
including about 80 Western Palearctic migrants. Mr. Sawadogo
also acknowledged the fact that acceding to AEWA would
offer multiple ecological, economical and social benefits
to the country.

There was a warm welcome
to the workshop participants from Mr. Ouedraogo Joachim,
Director General for Nature Conservation and chairman of
the National Organizing Committee.

In his opening
speech (speech available in
French only),
the Executive Secretary of AEWA Mr. Bert Lenten, emphasised
the importance of international cooperation for effective
implementation of AEWA and the importance of Burkina Faso’s
accession to the Agreement.

The entire workshop was chaired by Mr. Sambo Coulibaly,
Inspector General of Departments of the Ministry of Environment
and Livelihoods. During the workshop, presentations were
delivered by the different participating institutions and
were followed by question and answer sessions. The different
topics addressed included:

• Environmental Conventions and Agreements ratified
  by Burkina Faso and the ratification procedures in
  Burkina Faso: by representatives from MECV and MAECR;





• The National Policy on Wildlife Management in Burkina Faso:
  by a representative from MECV;





• Wetlands in Burkina Faso: by the Ramsar National Focal
  Point in MECV;





• The activities carried out by BirdLife International and
  Wetlands International in Burkina Faso: by the representative
  from NATURAMA;





• AEWA and Flyway Conservation: by the AEWA Secretariat;





• The Organisation of Hunting in Burkina Faso and its impacts
  on the conservation of waterbirds: by a representative
  from MECV;





• The advantages and obligations linked to accession to AEWA:
  by the AEWA Secretariat.

In addition, a concise and explicit roadmap
indicating the next steps to be taken with regard to the
accession
process at the national level was developed. The roadmap
outlines the different milestones, corresponding responsible
authorities and proposed deadlines for their accomplishment.
The roadmap was approved by the workshop participants,
and annexed to the final declaration between the Ministry
of Environment and Livelihoods and the AEWA Secretariat.
This Declaration would go a step further to emphasizing
the engagement of the two institutions in ensuring that
the accession process advances significantly in the
near future.

For a better appreciation of the
value of Burkina Faso’s wetlands, the workshop participants
took part in a field trip to the pond of sacred Crocodiles
in Bazoulé village, where the local populations
live in harmony with these intelligent reptiles.
The participants also visited the tortoise’s visitor
center at this wetland.

The workshop participants demonstrated
a remarkable and unanimous positive stance with regard
to the need for Burkina
Faso’s accession to AEWA, which was illustrated by
their very active participation and excellent team spirit
throughout the workshop. They also ensured their active
contribution towards the completion of the accession process
as well as towards the subsequent implementation of the
Agreement in the country. Both local and national radio
and television stations provided substantial press
coverage (available in French only),
spreading the positive message about migratory waterbird
conservation to the general public.

In his closing speech,
the Executive Secretary of the AEWA Secretariat acknowledged
the important contribution each workshop participant could
make towards ensuring the successful accomplishment of
the workshop goals and expressed the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat’s
wish to welcome the Government of Burkina Faso as a Contracting
Party to AEWA in the near future.