AEWA MOP9 Daily Coverage for Friday, 14 November 2025
AEWA MOP9 Web Coverage for: Tuesday (11 Nov) | Wednesday (12 Nov) | Thursday (13 Nov) | Friday (14 Nov)
| 30th Anniversary Event at MOP9 (11 Nov)
Bonn, 17 November 2025 – The final and closing day of AEWA MOP9 at the UN Campus in Bonn (Friday, 14 November 2025) began with a special ceremony to honour the two recipients of the AEWA Waterbird Conservation Award 2025, as well as the recognition of a Champion Plus and a Champion of Waterbird Conservation under the Migratory Species Champions Programme – a fundraising programme designed to support the implementation of AEWA and the other treaties of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) Family of Agreements.
Dr. Ruth Cromie, recipient of the 2025 AEWA Conservation Award in the individual category, receiving the award on the final day of AEWA MOP9 in plenary on 14 November 2025 / Photo by Aydin Bahramlouian (CC BY-NC 4.0)
The 2025 AEWA Waterbird Conservation Award in the individual category was presented to Dr. Ruth Cromie (United Kingdom) for her three decades of leadership in waterbird and wetland conservation, while Tour du Valat (France) was presented the award in the institutional category for long-standing and exemplary contributions to species conservation, habitat restoration, research and monitoring, and education across the Mediterranean.
“It is an enormous honour to receive this award from the Agreement that has framed so much of my working life on wetland and waterbird conservation. I count myself lucky to be able to put into practice some of the wisdom and knowledge that I have imbibed from all of the wise conservationists with whom I have had the privilege of working over many years,” said Dr Ruth Cromie upon receiving the 2025 AEWA Waterbird Conservation Award in the individual category.
Tour du Valat, the winner of the 2025 AEWA Waterbird Conservation Award in the institutional category was recognized for the organization’s long-standing leadership within the Mediterranean Waterbird Network and the Mediterranean Wetland Observatory and for the exemplary work being done to conserve species such as the Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) and the Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia), among other AEWA species.
Tour du Valat team receiving the 2025 AEWA Conservation Award in the institutional category on the final day of AEWA MOP9 in plenary on 14 November 2025 / Photo by Aydin Bahramlouian (CC BY-NC 4.0)
In his award acceptance video played inside the MOP9 plenary, Mr Jean Jalbert, Director General of Tour du Valat, said:
“At a time when our societies are becoming increasingly polarized, migratory birds are a wonderful link between peoples and continents. Understanding their dynamics and conserving these species requires collaboration across borders.”
Migratory Species Champion Recognition
Immediately after presenting the 2025 AEWA Waterbird Conservation Award, the Secretariat held the ceremony for recognizing Migratory Species Champions. Established in 2014, the Migratory Species Champion Programme aims to secure medium and long-term support for conservation efforts carried out under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) and its associated treaties and memoranda of understanding, including AEWA.
“Migratory Species Champions are more than donors – they are long-term advocates for migratory species who contribute to their conservation in ways that extend well beyond financial support,” said Sergey Dereliev, AEWA’s Chief Programmatic Officer who led the ceremony on behalf of the Secretariat.
Ms. Sylvia Barova, Policy Officer in the Nature Unit at DG Environment receiving the Champion Plus recognition on behalf of the European Commission on the final day of AEWA MOP9 in plenary on 14 November 2025 / Photo by Aydin Bahramlouian (CC BY-NC 4.0)
The European Commission was recognized as a Champion Plus under the Migratory Species Champions Programme for its outstanding contributions towards the implementation of AEWA for the period 2024-2028, in particular for its support towards the conservation of the Grey Crowned Crane in Africa and the monitoring of the implementation of the Agreement through National Reporting.
“It is a great honour for me to receive the Champion Plus recognition on behalf of the European Commission – a recognition of the Commission’s contribution to the conservation of migratory waterbirds in Africa under the EU’s Global Europe Programme,” said Sylvia Barova, Policy Officer in the Nature Unit at DG Environment of the European Commission. “For the European Union, restoring nature and protecting biodiversity is more than a policy – it is a moral imperative. In the EU we have a strong and robust nature legislation, and we have achieved a lot, but we have yet a long way to go as many birds are still in a poor status. It is therefore important for the EU to work with AEWA and we very much count on AEWA to ensure the necessary conditions for waterbirds to thrive along their whole flyways and help reinforce bird conservation beyond the EU,” said Barova.
Leica Camera AG was then recognized as Champion under the Migratory Species Champions Programme for the company’s outstanding contributions toward waterbird monitoring. Under a three-year partnership with AEWA, Leica Camera AG provided financial support to the Waterbird Fund hosted by Wetlands International as well as annual donations of optical equipment to support waterbird monitoring in selected countries along the African-Eurasian Flyways.
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Recipients of the ten high-precision Leica Trinovid 10x42 HD binoculars donated by Leica Camera AG to support waterbird monitoring efforts under AEWA in Africa / Photo by Aydin Bahramlouian (CC BY-NC 4.0)
In a statement submitted to the Secretariat, Leica Camera AG wrote:
“Leica Camera AG is deeply honoured to be recognised as Champion under the Migratory Species Champion Programme for supporting AEWA’s waterbird monitoring work. Leica believes that safeguarding migratory waterbirds is a shared responsibility and we are proud to support AEWA’s vital monitoring efforts across Africa and Eurasia. Through the long-standing tradition of optical innovation, Leica Camera AG is committed to equipping the waterbird conservation community with the tools they need to protect these species for generations to come.”
As part of the Champions ceremony at MOP9, a total of ten donated high-precision Leica Trinovid 10x42 HD binoculars were then handed out to representatives from ten AEWA African Parties to support waterbird monitoring efforts in their respective countries.
Adoption of Resolutions
Following the two ceremonies, delegates heard final reports from the Chairs of the Credentials Committee and the two working groups, the first on Scientific and Technical Matters and the second on Financial and Administrative Matters.
The reports were followed by a final review and the adoption of all eleven resolutions submitted to the final plenary of MOP9. Among these were resolutions on the adoption of amendments to the AEWA Annexes (Resolution 9.1); implementation of the Agreement and its Strategic Plan, including preparations for a new AEWA Strategic Plan for 2029–2037 (Resolution 9.2); International Species Action and Management Plans, including the adoption of two revised plans (Resolution 9.3); a resolution on refined priorities for seabird conservation under AEWA and measures addressing impacts caused by sea level rise (Resolution 9.4); a resolution on revision and adoption of AEWA conservation guidelines (Resolution 9.5). Other resolutions adopted included one aiming to strengthen Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA) under the Agreement (Resolution 9.6), resolutions on the institutional arrangements for the AEWA Standing Committee (Resolution 9.7), and for institutional arrangements for the AEWA Technical Committee (Resolution 9.8) as well as the resolution on financial and administrative matters (Resolution 9).
As one of the final MOP9 Resolutions (Resolution 9.10), the 10th Session of the Meeting of the Parties (MOP10) was scheduled for 2028, with an expression of interest from the Kingdom of Eswatini to host it.
AEWA Secretariat team handing over a gift to AEWA's Executive Secretary Dr. Jacques Trouvilliez at the end of AEWA MOP9 held on the UN Campus in Bonn, Germany / Photo by Aydin Bahramlouian (CC BY-NC 4.0)
At the closure of the meeting, Parties paid a special tribute to Dr. Jacques Trouvilliez, who has served as AEWA’s Executive Secretary for the past 11 years and for whom MOP9 was the last meeting before his retirement. Among other achievements, Parties highlighted AEWA’s contribution to the EU ban on lead ammunition, awareness-raising and the EGMP, as well as the expansion of the membership of the Agreement as key milestones under his leadership.
“Whilst we have moved at a steady pace in the past 30 years, the foundation laid by Jacques Trouvilliez is solid. We appreciate that he has built a solid team in the Secretariat and has put in place measures to enhance representation and participation specifically for Africa,” said Flora Mokgohloa, President of MOP9.
AEWA MOP9 was then officially closed by Flora Mokgohloa, as President of MOP9, ahead of schedule. In a statement given to the Secretariat directly after the closure of the meeting Flora Mokgohloa said:
“The MOP convened under the theme United for Flyways, reflecting on our shared responsibility in stewarding habitats and routes of migration, and asserting the notion that nature knows no borders. At this MOP, Parties reflected on the sterling work of the last 30 years. We heard how they are working with organizations in science, as well as passionate enthusiasts and volunteers, doing amazing work in the conservation of waterbirds and their habitats. The Conservation Status Report provides us with valuable evidence to strengthen policy and enhance conservation measures. More work, however, remains for us, to take this agreement to the next level, to mobilize resources and expand range of coverage of this agreement, build and recover populations, as well as contribute to halting and reversing the loss of biodiversity in line with the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.”
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Group Photo of AEWA MOP9 held at the UN Campus in Bonn, Germany. / Photo by Aydin Bahramlouian (CC BY-NC 4.0)
AEWA MOP9 in Bonn brought together more than 160 delegates from 64 countries, including AEWA Parties and non-Party Rage State observers, representatives of inter-governmental organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat, as well as NGOs such as BirdLife International, Wetlands International, the European Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FACE) and the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) as representatives of international hunter associations.
“As we approach the close of AEWA’s 30th Anniversary in 2025, MOP9 has given us a moment to reflect on both how far we have come and how much work still lies ahead. The achievements of the past three decades show the power of international cooperation for migratory waterbirds under AEWA, yet the extinction of the Slender-billed Curlew also reminds us that our efforts must be intensified,” said Jacques Trouvilliez, Executive Secretary in his closing statement at MOP9. “AEWA’s strength has always been its focus on practical, on-the-ground solutions and its unique spirit of collaboration across Africa, Europe, and West and Central Asia. As Hungary hands over the MOP presidency to South Africa, I am confident that this treaty will remain a driving force for the conservation of migratory waterbirds across Africa and Eurasia in the years ahead,” said Trouvilliez.
Africa Group Photo on the final day of AEWA MOP9 held at the UN Campus in Bonn, Germany. / Photo by Aydin Bahramlouian (CC BY-NC 4.0)
ABOUT THIS REPORT:
This AEWA MOP9 DAILY COVERAGE feature has been prepared by the Joint Communications Unit of the UNEP/CMS and UNEP/AEWA Secretariats. The feature includes a short summary and audio-visual elements (photos, videos and audio recordings) of the main highlights of each day of the Ninth Meeting of the Parties (MOP9) to the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) taking place in Bonn, Germany from 11 – 14 November 2025. The product is prepared in-house using available capacity within the Secretariat. Its main purpose is to capture the highlights of AEWA MOP9 for public awareness and communication purposes, i.e. it does not serve as an official record of the meeting. For feedback, content suggestions and enquiries, please contact Mr. Florian Keil, AEWA Information Officer by writing to: florian.keil@un.org
Further photos of AEWA MOP9 can be found on the AEWA Flickr Account.