African Parties Gear Up for AEWA MOP9 in Bonn, Germany

Bonn, 18 September 2025 – In preparation for the upcoming 9th Session of the Meeting of the Parties to AEWA (MOP9), some 80 participants from African Contracting Parties to AEWA convened for a two-day online preparatory meeting organized by the AEWA Secretariat from 16 – 17 September 2025.

Participants included AEWA National Focal Points and invited stakeholders from 32 African Contracting Parties to AEWA. The African Preparatory Meeting for MOP9 (Pre-MOP9) served to discuss key issues to be addressed at AEWA MOP9, with a particular focus on matters considered to be of high priority for waterbird conservation in Africa.

The virtual Pre-MOP9 meeting was conducted in English and French, with simultaneous interpretation provided in both languages throughout the meeting. Supported by experienced facilitators, the meeting featured presentations by AEWA Secretariat staff on substantive issues to be addressed at MOP9 that were considered of high importance for the African region. These were complemented by dedicated discussion sessions, the sharing of experiences by several National Focal Points on selected issues addressed during the meeting, and an interactive quiz on general AEWA matters.

In addition, closed discussion sessions were held, during which delegates were able to further deliberate on key issues requiring decisions to be fed into the MOP9 processes and documents for consideration. These included, among others, possible nominations for positions within the AEWA governing bodies and specific roles for coordinating the participation of the African region at MOP9.

“The preparatory meeting for AEWA African Parties ahead of MOP9 has been a great success. Even with a full agenda and the usual constraints of an online format, we saw productive discussions and active participation from across the African continent. I am confident that this meeting has helped lay the groundwork for strong coordinated African participation in the upcoming MOP,” said Jacques Trouvilliez, Executive Secretary of AEWA.  

The meeting discussions covered a range of general aspects, including an introduction to the Agreement and an overview of the structure and operation of the MOP. In addition, in-depth substantive issues were addressed. These included consideration of a more targeted, simplified and direct mechanism for supporting the implementation of the Agreement in Africa, intended to replace the AEWA Plan of Action for Africa beyond 2028.

Discussions also focused on the coordination and implementation of AEWA species action and management plans at both national and international levels, as well as the conclusions and recommendations arising from the 9th Conservation Status Report (CSR9). Further topics included future priorities for waterbird monitoring and seabird conservation within the Agreement Area. In addition, key institutional, financial and administrative aspects of the Agreement were considered, including a review of budget scenarios to be presented to MOP9 for consideration.

Other dedicated sessions of the meeting covered conservation guidance under AEWA communication, education and public awareness and proposed amendments to the Agreement, among others.

Tim Dodman, lead facilitator of the meeting said: “Facilitating an online meeting that spans four time zones and two languages is always a challenge, but participants stayed focused and engaged throughout the meeting. Thanks to the active participation, we were able to work through all the major issues ahead of MOP9 and the insights and experience that delegates brought into the meeting also helped enrich the experience of the Pre-MOP for everyone who attended.”

Group photo showing some of the participants of the virtual AEWA Pre-MOP9 Meeting held from 16 – 17 September 2025.
 

The African Regional Preparatory Meeting for AEWA MOP9 was made possible thanks to the generous financial support of the Government of the United Kingdom through its Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

“Thanks to the Pre-MOP9 meeting, our delegates now have a better understanding of the priority issues which will come up at MOP9. Given the high turnover in African National Focal Points over the last triennium since AEWA MOP8, the meeting also played a crucial role in bringing together the National Focal Points from Africa and helped to strengthen collaboration among them. The Pre-MOP9 meeting conclusions and action points agreed on by the National Focal Points will also help to instil a sense of shared commitment to the conservation of migratory waterbirds across the African-Eurasian Flyway, while guiding their joint and collaborative participation at MOP9 and as well as continued conservation efforts beyond MOP9,” said Evelyn Moloko, Coordinator of the AEWA African Initiative at the AEWA Secretariat.

Scheduled to take place from 11-14 November 2025 in Bonn, Germany, AEWA MOP9 will bring together  AEWA Contracting Parties and partners, including representatives of other international treaties, international non-governmental organizations as well as experts from across the African-Eurasian Flyway.

MOP9 will decide on issues of crucial importance for the conservation of migratory waterbirds and their habitats across Africa and Eurasia and decisions made in Bonn will help further strengthen the flyway approach to the conservation of migratory waterbirds across this geographic range spanning 119 countries.  

The full AEWA Pre-MOP9 Meeting Report will be made available for download on the AEWA Website. For further information on AEWA’s African Initiative please contact Ms. Evelyn Moloko, Coordinator of the AEWA African Initiative at evelyn.moloko@un.org