International Migratory Waterbird Conference (AEWA MOP6)
The 6th Meeting of the Parties to the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) will be heldfrom 9 – 14 November 2015, at the United Nations Campus in Bonn, Germany. The conference will bring together over 200 participants from more than 70 national governments, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations to discuss urgent conservation responses needed to address the many threats and management challenges facing migratory waterbirds in the African-Eurasian region today.
Date: 9 -14 November 2015
Venue: UN Campus, Altes Abgeordnetenhochhaus, Platz der Vereinten Nationen 1, 53113 Bonn, Germany
AEWA is the only inter-governmental treaty administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) dedicated to the conservation and sustainable use of migratory waterbirds - such as pelicans, cranes, storks, terns, ducks, geese, waders and flamingos - as well as their habitats throughout their range.
The conference is being held under the theme “Making Flyway Conservation Happen”, which highlights the importance of AEWA as a treaty fostering international cooperation for the benefit of migratory waterbirds amongst a vast range of countries in Africa and Eurasia.
2015 also marks the 20th Anniversary of AEWA. A special event to mark 20 years of flyway conservation will take place on 9 November, starting at 16:00 hrs at which German Parliamentary State Secretary for the Environment, Ms Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter will be participating.
MEDIA ACCREDITATION
Journalists wishing to attend the sessions of the conference are requested to register at:
http://www.unep-aewa.org/meetings/MOP6/registration
Please be ready to present your press card when entering the venue.
For more information please see:
About AEWA
The Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) is an intergovernmental treaty with currently 75 Parties out of 119 Range States. It is the largest regional instrument of its kind developed under the framework of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS, also known as the Bonn Convention, after the city in which it was signed). www.unep-aewa.org
AEWAMOP6 (Bonn, Germany, 9-14 November 2015)
The decision-making organ of the Agreement, which convenes every three years, reviews the implementation of the treaty. At MOP6, governments will decide on urgently needed conservation and management actions in an effort to ensure the long-term survival of the 255 migratory waterbird species covered by the Agreement.
Topics on the agenda of AEWA MOP6 will include:
- Conservation Status of AEWA Species: the latest Conservation Status Report (CSR) being presented reveals that many populations of waterbirds continue to decline within the AEWA region, however the report is also showing that some populations are benefitting from coordinated conservation measures under AEWA.
- International Single Species Action Plansfor the Shoebill, Grey Crowned-crane, Taiga Bean Goose, Long-tailed Duck, Northern Bald Ibis and the Eurasian Curlew will be presented for adoption.
- Focus on Seabirds:Two reviews on seabirds, looking at status, threats and conservation priorities as well as on the impact of marine fisheries will be presented. In addition, a first AEWA multi-species action plan for seabirds involving the countries Angola, Namibia and South Africa will be submitted for adoption.
- Sustainable Harvest of Waterbirds: Revised international guidelines on the topic will be presented, which provide advice on how countries, both individually and collectively, can ensure that harvesting of waterbirds is sustainable.
- Renewable Energy and Migratory Birds: Guidelines to mitigate the negative effects of renewable energy deployments on migratory animals, amongst them waterbirds, will be presented.
- Waterbird Conservation in Africa: Building capacity for waterbird conservation while improving the livelihoods amongst local communities in Africa is one of the key aims of AEWA’s African Initiative. A fundamental question is, how can development be reconciled with the conservation of birds and habitats?
The meeting agenda and background documentson all the above topics can be found here:
http://www.unep-aewa.org/en/meeting/6th-meeting-parties-aewa
For more information, please contact:
Florian Keil, Coordinator of the Common Information Management, Communication and Outreach Team of the UNEP/CMS and UNEP/AEWA Secretariats, tel: +49 (0)228 815 2451, e-mail: florian.keil@unep.org
Veronika Lenarz, Public Information, UNEP/CMS Secretariat, tel: +49 (0)228 815 2409, e-mail: veronika.lenarz@cms.int
