Press releases
MOP9 plenary - Photo by Aydin Bahramlouian (CC BY-NC 4.0)
UN Waterbird Conservation Meeting Closes with New Measures to Reduce Pressures and Stronger Commitments Across African–Eurasian Flyways
Parties adopt eleven Resolutions, including on actions to restore waterbird populations, seabird conservation measures, site management and public awareness, with implementation aligned to new
Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica) © Sergey Dereliev, dereliev-photography.com
United for Flyways: African and Eurasian Nations Gather for UN Waterbird Conservation Meeting as New Status Report Guides Action
The 9th Session of the Meeting of the Parties (MOP9) to the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) opened today in Bonn, Germany, under the theme “United for Flyways.” From 11–14 November, the UN-backed treaty’s main decision-making body will convene delegations from more than 60 AEWA Parties, along with Non-Party Range State observers, NGOs, and experts, to assess implementation progress and decide future direction and priorities for migratory waterbird conservation.
Slender-billed Curlew Officially Declared Extinct: A Wake-Up Call for Migratory Bird Conservation
Today, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has officially declared the Slender-billed Curlew (Numenius tenuirostris) extinct, marking the first known global extinction of a formerly widespread migratory bird species whose range included mainland Europe, North Africa, and West Asia. The last confirmed sighting of the species was at Merja Zerga, Morocco, just over thirty years ago, on 25 February 1995.
AEWA’s 30th Anniversary: Celebrating Three Decades of Flyway Conservation in Action
Today, the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) marks a significant milestone - its 30th Anniversary. On 16 June 1995, negotiators representing 54 governments signed the “Final Act” in The Hague, the Netherlands that led to the birth of this landmark treaty, dedicated to conserving migratory waterbirds and their habitats along the African-Eurasian Flyway.
“Shared Spaces: Creating Bird-Friendly Cities and Communities,” is theme of World Migratory Bird Day 2025
The importance of designing and managing urban environments that support both birds and people is the message of this year’s World Migratory Bird Day, a global campaign organized by the United Nations and international partners. The campaign kicks off with this year’s first peak day on 10 May 2025. Under the theme “Shared Spaces: Creating Bird-Friendly Cities and Communities,” the campaign urges collective efforts to secure the future of migratory birds in and around urban environments amid alarming bird population declines.
UN Report: Insect Population Decline Threatens Migratory Birds
On the second annual commemoration of World Migratory Bird Day 2024 on 12 October, the international campaign, organized by a network of global partners, calls for urgent and sustained action to protect both migratory birds and the insects they depend on for survival. This year’s theme, “Protect Insects, Protect Birds,” emphasizes the critical role insects play in the lifecycle of many migratory birds and draws attention to the alarming global decline in insect populations.
World Migratory Bird Day 2024 Highlights Importance of Insects
World Migratory Bird Day 2024 shines a spotlight on the relationship between migratory birds and insects amidst alarming declines for both. World Migratory Bird Day is a global campaign that educates and promotes conservation efforts for migratory birds and their journeys across borders. It raises awareness about the challenges birds face and encourages conservation actions worldwide.
Global Campaign Highlights Importance of Water for Birds
World Migratory Bird Day 2023 is here, focusing on the theme "Water: Sustaining Bird Life." On October 14th, people and organizations all over the world will come together to raise awareness and take action. Water is essential to the survival of migratory birds. From breeding to resting, and refueling during migration and wintering, migratory birds rely on lakes, rivers, ponds, coastal wetlands, and even moisture found in seeds, flowers, and mist. But water is under threat. Climate change, pollution, and increasing human demand for water are endangering vital ecosystems and the availability of clean water – for birds and people alike.
AEWA and Leica Camera AG Sign Partnership in Support of Waterbird Monitoring along African- Eurasian Flyways
Bonn, 20 July 2023 – The African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) Secretariat and the German camera and optics company Leica Camera AG have agreed to work together to further develop and strengthen waterbird monitoring across Africa and Eurasia.
World Migratory Bird Day 2023
Water and its importance to migratory birds – and the increasing threats to both water quality and quantity - is the focus of this year’s World Migratory Bird Day, a global campaign that aims to raise awareness of migratory birds and the need for international cooperation to conserve them. Activities to mark the campaign will be held globally on two peak days in May and October under the theme “Water: Sustaining Bird Life”.