International news

The CMS Secretariat is pleased to inform our parties and partners of several recent appointments.

“Sing, Fly, Soar – Like a Bird!” is the theme of this year’s World Migratory Bird Day, an annual global campaign dedicated to raising awareness of migratory birds and the need for international cooperation to conserve them. This year the campaign will focus on the phenomena of “bird song” and “bird flight” as a way to inspire and connect people of all ages around the world in their shared desire to celebrate migratory birds and to unite in a common, global effort to protect birds and the habitats they need to survive.
 

The 5th Meeting of the Sessional Committee (ScC-SC5) of the CMS Scientific Council will take place from 28 June to 9 July 2021 as an online virtual mee

Today, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced that it now recognizes two distinct species of African elephants: The Forest Elephant and the Savanna Elephant. The revised assessment of African elephants also has found that the Forest Elephant is Critically Endangered and the Savanna Elephant Endangered, downgrading the status of both species from their previous classification as Vulnerable.

Ahead of its session planned for September 2021, the International Union Conservation Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress (WCC-2020), adopted Resolution (073) on Ecological connectivity conservation in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework: from local to international levels which has already entered into force as part of the body of the IUCN's general policy.

The theme of this year’s World Wildlife Day – “Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet” – highlights the central role that forests and forest species play for both the ecological health and functioning of our planet as well as in supporting the lives and livelihoods of people around the world. Forests are essential for life on earth as we know it. They provide products, food and services for billions of people, support agriculture and jobs, and they are instrumental in the fight against climate change.

In recognition of World Seagrass Day 2021, we are thrilled to announce the official launch of the Dugong & Seagrass Hub. The Hub is a communal platform for dugong and seagrass conservationists to collate and share information, resources, best practice and lessons learned working to conserve seagrass ecosystems in dugong range states.