International news

The AEWA Contracting Parties in Africa recognized the WMBD campaign as an effective tool for increasing understanding of and raising awareness for waterbirds in Africa. They therefore highlighted the need to encourage and support the celebration of the WMBD campaign in Africa, through for example providing seed funding for the organization of activities at the national level, as indicated in Result 4.3.2 of the AEWA Plan of Action for Africa 2012-2017.

The Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) is pleased to inform you of two funding opportunities.

The Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) in its capacity as Depositary of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migrator

At the invitation of the Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marine experts from 15 Northwest Indian Ocean countries participated in a regional workshop to describe marine areas meeting criteria developed under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) for ecologically or biologically sensitive marine areas (EBSAs).

A recent conservation project has utilized the power of participatory planning to enable the successful protection of Dalmatian Pelican habitat in Montenegro. Funded by the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) through its Small Grant Programme and led by the French NGO Noé Conservation, the project has successfully engaged stakeholders to implement a conservation zone around a key Dalmatian Pelican nesting area on the shores of the Skadar Lake in Southern Montenegro.

Next Sunday, 19 April, the UNEP Family of Bonn will be participating in the Deutsche Post Bonn Marathon with 16 runners representing the CMS, AEWA and IPBES Secretariats. With about 12,000 participants and 200,000 spectators, the Bonn Marathon is among the ten most important such races in Germany. This year again, the runners will cross the city, along the Rhine, and past the UN Building “Langer Eugen” which has meanwhile become one of the town’s best known landmarks.

Community representatives and wildlife officials met from 3-6 April and agreed urgently needed conservation measures for elephants contributing to the implementation of the CMS West African Elephant MOU, including the formal establishment of a new transboundary law enforcement mechanism at the village level.

As part of this year’s campaign, a video competition is being organized. €1,500 is being offered to the best entry – with €1,000 and €500 for second and third place.

Dear World Migratory Bird Day Event Organizers, It is a great pleasure to seeing you taking action on this year’s World Migratory Bird Day by organizing an event. Your support on raising awareness about the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats will make a difference and enrich this worldwide celebration! In addition, we cordially welcome many new event organizers participating in the campaign for the very first time.

As part of a United Nations–wide initiative (as per Resolution A/RES/63/262 of the UN General Assembly in 2008), the Secretariats of CMS (and its MOUs), AEWA, ASCOBANS and EUROBATS will be implemen