Ramsar Convention: 62nd meeting, results, dynamics of implementation and prospects
Source: Ramsar Convention’s Facebook account
The 62nd meeting of the Standing Committee of the Convention on Wetlands is being held in Switzerland in a hybrid format from 4 to 8 September 2023. Participants address a number of strategic matters, including the report of the Working Group on the Review of the Strategic Plan of the Convention on Wetlands, institutional strengthening to support the implementation of the Convention, the workplan of the Secretariat for 2023-2025, synergies with other multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), and a workplan on communication, capacity building, education, participation, and awareness (CEPA). The Committee will review the report of the Chair of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) and the status of sites in the List of Wetlands of International Importance.
This is the first meeting of the Standing Committee since the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP14), which took place from November 5 to 13, 2022 in Wuhan, China. The conference discussed a number of issues related to the direction of the future development of the Ramsar Convention, updating the list of cities with wetlands and the creation of an International Mangrove Center in China. COP14 adopted the Wuhan Declaration, which “sets out key principles for integrating wetland ecosystems into all frameworks and initiatives for people and nature” and includes commitments to take appropriate and urgent measures towards halting and reversing the loss of wetlands globally.
The meeting can be accessed online via the Ramsar Convention website.
Brief reference
It should be noted that the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) also contributes to the implementation of the Ramsar Convention. With the support of GIZ and the Ramsar Convention Secretariat, CAREC supports the Ramsar Regional Initiative of Central Asia (RRI-CA). The RRI-CA’s objectives:
• Support for the implementation of the Strategic Plan of the Ramsar Convention in Central Asia;
• Promoting the effective conservation and sustainable use of existing and potential Ramsar wetlands in the region;
• Raising awareness of the importance of wetland ecosystems;
• Inclusion of wetlands issues in the programs of national and regional nature protection activities;
• Ensuring the transfer of knowledge and experience in Central Asia and other regions of the world.
Additional information:
Ludmila Kiktenko – Environmental Management Programme’s Manager, CAREC, lkiktenko@carececo.org
