Below we have listed the growing number of organisations, such as MEAs (Multilateral Environment Agreements) and NGOs (non-governmental organisations) with which CMS collaborates either in the development of conservation policy or on specific projects and fieldwork through formal memoranda of cooperation. CMS cooperates with a number of other organisations outside the framework of formal agreements. The list below is not conclusive. CMS also works with five other Multilateral Environment Agreements (MEAs) through the Biodiversity Liaison Group (BLG), whose website can be accessed here.

To find out more about any of these collaborating organisations, click on their initials, acronym or short name. The information provided includes a link to each organisation’s own website.

AMMPA - Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums
BLI - BirdLife International
Cartagena - Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment in the Wider Caribbean Region
CBD - Convention on Biological Diversity
CBFP - Congo Basin Forest Partnership
CIC - International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation
CITES - Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
FAO - Food and Agriculture Organisation
GNF - Global Nature Fund
ICF - International Crane Foundation
ICMBio - Chico Mendes Institute for Conservation of Biodiversity
IFAW - International Fund for Animal Welfare
ITTO - International Tropical Timber Organization
IUCN - International Union for Conservation of Nature
IWC - International Whaling Commission
Museum Koenig - Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig
Nairobi Convention - Convention for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Eastern African Region
NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Ramsar - Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat
SCA - Saiga Conservation Alliance
SCF - Sahara Conservation Fund
SPREP - Pacific Regional Environment Programme
UNCCD - United Nations Convention on Combating Desertification
UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
WAZA - World Association of Zoos and Aquariums
WCS - Wildlife Conservation Society
WDCS - Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society
WI - Wetlands International
WHMSI - Western Hemisphere Migratory Species Initiative
ZSL - Zoological Society of London

to access the organisations' own websites, click on the web address. CMS is not responsible for the content of external websites.

AMMPA www.ammpa.org

The Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums is an international association representing marine life parks, aquariums, zoos, research facilities and professional organisations dedicated to the highest standards of care for marine mammals and to their conservation in the wild through public education, scientific study and wildlife presentations.

BLI www.birdlife.org

BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources. BirdLife Partners operate in over one hundred countries and territories worldwide and collaborate on regional work programmes in every continent.

Cartagena www.cep.unep.org

The Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment in the Wider Caribbean Region was adopted in Cartagena, Colombia on 24 March 1983 and entered into force on 11 October 1986, for the legal implementation of the Action Plan for the Caribbean Environment Programme.

The Convention has been supplemented by three Protocols:

· A Protocol Concerning Co-operation in Combating Oil Spills in the Wider Caribbean Region which was also adopted in 1983 and entered into force on 11 October 1986;

· A Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) in the Wider Caribbean Region which was adopted on 18 January 1990. The Protocol entered into force on 18 June 2000.

· A Protocol Concerning Pollution from Land-Based Sources and Activities.

CBD www.cbd.int

The Convention on Biological Diversity, known informally as the Biodiversity Convention, is an international treaty that was adopted in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. The Convention has three main goals:

· conservation of biological diversity (or biodiversity);
· sustainable use of its components; and
· fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources.

In other words, its objective is to develop national strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. It is often seen as the key document regarding sustainable development. The Convention was opened for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro on 5 June 1992 and entered into force on 29 December 1993.

CBFP www.cbfp.org

The Congo Basin Forest Partnership was launched at the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in 2002. As a "type II" partnership (non-binding) it is based on a voluntary agreement between governments, the private sector, civil society and development organisations. Today, the partnership comprises more than 40 members.

CBFP cooperates closely with the Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC), to promote the conservation and sustainable management of the Congo Basin's forest ecosystems.

CIC www.cic-wildlife.org

The International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation is a politically independent advisory body internationally active on a non-profit basis. With its scientific capacity, the CIC assists governments and environmental organizations in maintaining natural resources by sustainable use.

The acronym CIC comes from the organisation’s French name Conseil International de la Chasse et de la Conservation du Gibier.

CITES www.cites.org

CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

Because the trade in wild animals and plants crosses borders between countries, the effort to regulate it requires international cooperation to safeguard certain species from over-exploitation. CITES was conceived in the spirit of such cooperation. Today, it accords varying degrees of protection to more than 30,000 species of animals and plants, whether they are traded as live specimens, fur coats, dried herbs or other.

CITES was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of IUCN (The World Conservation Union). The text of the Convention was finally agreed at a meeting of representatives of 80 countries in Washington DC on 3 March 1973, and on 1 July 1975 CITES entered in force.

FAO www.fao.org

Founded in 1945, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is responsible for leading international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO helps developing countries and countries in transition to transform and progress agriculture, forestry and fisheries. The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, negotiated under Article XIV of FAO, is one of six Conventions and instruments participating in the Biodiversity Liaison Group. CMS COP9 is being held at the FAO HQ in Rome.

GNF www.globalnature.org

The Global Nature Fund (GNF) is an NGO which was founded in early 1998 with the objective to foster the protection of water, nature and the environment as well as wildlife and biodiversity. GNF’s work consists mainly of:

· Initiating and carrying nature/environment protection projects to preserve the fauna, protect migratory species, their habitats and their migration routes.

· The implementation of model projects for the promotion of sustainable economy.

· Publications and organisation of events dealing with the protection of nature and the environment.

· Supporting international conventions on species conservation.

More information on GNF is available by clicking here

ICF www.savingcranes.org

The International Crane Foundation is an NGO, founded in 1973 by two Cornell University graduate students, George Archibald and Ron Sauey who while studying crane behaviour became aware of the intense pressures on the birds’ remaining populations. ICF’s headquarters are located in Baraboo, Wisconsin in the USA.

ICF has been one of CMS’s main partner in the MOU concerning conservation measures for Siberian Crane since the MOU was concluded in 1993. ICF coordinates the joint CMS-ICF wetlands project which was awarded a US$10 million grant from the Global Environment Facility and aims to develop a network of sites for Siberian Cranes and other birds across Central Asia.

ICMBio www.icmbio.gov.br

The Chico Mendes Institute for Conservation of Biodiversity is the latest environmental agency to be set up by the Brazilian government, having been created in 2007. It is linked to the Ministry of Environment and includes the National Environmental System (Sisnama). Its main mission is to administer the institutional federal units of conservation (CUs), which are areas of significant ecological value. Accordingly, the institute implements the actions of the national policy of conservation units, may propose, implement, manage, protect, monitor and track designated CUs.

Other tasks of the Institutional are to promote and implement programmes of research, protection, preservation and conservation of biodiversity and to promote the power of the environmental police to protect the federal units of conservation.

IFAW www.ifaw.org

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is one of the largest animal welfare and conservation charities in the world. Its mission is "to improve the welfare of wild and domestic animals throughout the world by reducing commercial exploitation of animals, protecting wildlife habitats, and assisting animals in distress". The work of IFAW’s global team of campaigners, legal and political experts and scientists is concentrated in three areas: reducing commercial exploitation of wild animals; protecting wildlife habitats; and providing emergency relief to animals in distress.

ITTO www.itto.or.jp

The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) is an intergovernmental organisation promoting the conservation and sustainable management, use and trade of tropical forest resources. Its 60 members represent about 80% of the world's tropical forests and 90% of the global tropical timber trade.

The ITTO was established under the auspices of the United Nations in 1986 amidst increasing worldwide concern for the fate of tropical forests. ITTO’s role is to reconcile the seemingly disparate aims of reducing the alarming rate of deforestation occurring in many tropical countries while allowing those same countries to engage in tropical timber trade as a means of achieving economic development.

IUCN www.iucn.org

Founded in 1948 as the International Union for the Protection of Nature (or IUPN), the organisation is today known as the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). IUCN's mission is to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable.

The Union has over 1000 staff working in 62 different countries. Its headquarters are near Geneva in Switzerland.

The Union’s unique network consists of 82 state members, 11 government agencies and 800 non-governmental organisations. It can call upon the expertise and commitment of over 10,000 scientists from 181 countries.

IWC www.iwcoffice.org

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) was set up under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling which was signed in Washington DC on 2nd December 1946. The purpose of the Convention is to provide for the conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry.

The main duty of the IWC is to keep under review and revise as necessary the measures laid down in the Schedule to the Convention, which govern the conduct of whaling throughout the world. These measures, among other things, provide for the complete protection of certain species; designate specified areas as whale sanctuaries; set limits on the numbers and size of whales which may be taken; prescribe open and closed seasons and areas for whaling; and prohibit the capture of suckling calves and female whales accompanied by calves. The compilation of catch reports and other statistical and biological records is also required.

In addition, the Commission encourages, co-ordinates and funds whale research, publishes the results of scientific research and promotes studies into related matters such as the humaneness of the killing operations.

Museum Alexander Koenig www.museumkoenig.de

The Museum was opened in 1934 based on the private zoological collection of Alexander Koenig who donated both a considerable proportion of the exhibits and the building itself to the German state.

Like the CMS Secretariat, the Museum is based in Bonn. Examples of the close collaboration between the Convention and the Museum include the development of GROMS – the Global Register of Migratory Species – and the organisation of the CMS Thesis Award.

Nairobi Convention www.unep.org/NairobiConvention

The Nairobi Convention provides a mechanism for regional cooperation, coordination and collaborative actions, and enables the Contracting Parties to harness resources and expertise from a wide range of stakeholders and interest groups towards solving interlinked problems of the coastal and marine environment.

The Nairobi Convention for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Eastern African Region was signed in 1985 and came into force in 1996, making it one of 17 regional seas conventions and action plans.

NOAA www.noaa.gov

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a US federal agency set up under the Department of Commerce focused on the condition of the oceans and the atmosphere.

NOAA dates back to 1807, when the USA’s first scientific agency, the Survey of the Coast, was established. Since then, NOAA has evolved to become one of the leading scientific and environmental authorities internationally.

NOAA’s responsibilities range from daily weather forecasts, severe storm warnings and climate monitoring to fisheries management, coastal restoration and supporting marine commerce. The organisation’s dedicated scientists use cutting-edge research and high-tech instrumentation to provide citizens, planners, emergency managers and other decision makers with the reliable information they need.

Ramsar www.ramsar.org

The Ramsar Convention provides a framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. The Convention covers all aspects of wetlands conservation and wise use, recognising wetlands as ecosystems that are extremely important for biodiversity conservation in general and the well being of human communities.

SCA www.saiga-conservation.com

The SCA is a network of researchers and ocnservationists who have worked together for over fifteen years to study and protect the critically endangered saiga antelope in Central Asia and Russia. The SCA places strong emphasis on research and acts as a catalyst to facilitate sustainable long-term conservation solutions base on local partnerships in the individual saiga populations.

SCF www.saharaconservation.org

The Sahara Conservation Fund is an international non-governmental organization established in 2004 to conserve the wildlife of the Sahara and bordering Sahelian grasslands. SCF’s vision is of a Sahara that is well conserved and managed, in which ecological processes function naturally, with plants and animals existing in healthy numbers across their historical range; a Sahara that benefits all its inhabitants and users and where support for its conservation comes from stakeholders across all sectors of society.
To implement its mission, SCF forges partnerships between people, governments, the world zoo and scientific communities, international conventions, NGOs and donor agencies.

SCF’s programme is based on four complementary programme areas: conserving the Sahara’s remaining wildlife; captive breeding and reintroduction of key species; communicating the crisis faced by Saharan wildlife; and campaigning on key issues. SCF currently works in several African countries, including Niger, Chad, Algeria and Tunisia.

The Sahara Conservation Fund is incorporated as a not for profit organization in the State of Missouri and is hosted by the Wildcare Institute of St Louis Zoo.

SPREP www.sprep.org

The Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) is a regional organisation established by the governments and administrations of the Pacific region to look after its environment. It has grown from a small programme attached to the South Pacific Commission (SPC) in the 1980s into the Pacific region’s major intergovernmental organisation charged with protecting and managing the environment and natural resources. It is based in Apia, Samoa, with over 70 staff.

SPREP’s mandate is to promote cooperation in the Pacific islands region and to provide assistance in order to protect and improve the environment and to ensure sustainable development for present and future generations.

UNCCD www.unccd.int

The United Nations Convention on Combating Desertification has been located in Bonn since 1999. The Convention was adopted in Paris in 1994 and entered into force in 1996. Since then, UNCCD has been working to ensure the promotion of sustainable development in arid ecosystems.

The international community has long recognized that desertification is a major economic, social and environmental problem of concern to many countries in all regions of the world. In 1977, the United Nations Conference on Desertification (UNCOD) adopted a Plan of Action to Combat Desertification (PACD). Unfortunately, despite this and other efforts, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) concluded in 1991 that the problem of land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas had intensified, although there were "local examples of success".

Desertification was still a major concern for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. The Conference supported a new, integrated approach to the problem, emphasising action to promote sustainable development at the community level. It also called on the United Nations General Assembly to establish an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INCD) to prepare, by June 1994, a Convention to Combat Desertification, particularly in Africa. The Convention was adopted in Paris in 1994 and entered into force in 1996.

UNESCO www.unesco.org

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was founded in 1945. This specialised United Nations agency aims to combine education, social and natural science, culture and communication as the means to promote peace internationally.

UNESCO functions as a laboratory of ideas and a standard-setter to forge universal agreements on emerging ethical issues. The Organisation also serves as a clearinghouse – for the dissemination and sharing of information and knowledge – while helping Member States to build their human and institutional capacities in diverse fields. In short, UNESCO promotes international co-operation among its Members and Associate Members in the fields of education, science, culture and communication.

WAZA www.waza.org

The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums is the "umbrella" organisation for the world zoo and aquarium community. Its members include leading zoos and aquariums, and regional and national Associations of Zoos and Aquariums, as well as some affiliate organisations, such as zoo veterinarians or zoo educators, from all around the world.

After an earlier International Union of Directors of Zoological Gardens (IUDZG), founded in 1935 at Basel (Switzerland), ceased to exist during World War II, a new IUDZG was founded in Rotterdam in 1946 by a group of zoo directors from allied or neutral countries. In 2000 IUDZG was renamed as WAZA to reflect a more modern institution working together at a global level, to build cooperative approaches to common needs, to tackle common issues, to share information and knowledge, and represent this community in other international bodies such as IUCN or Conferences of the Parties to global Conventions, such as CITES, CBD or CMS.

WCS www.wcs.org

The Wildlife Conservation Society is a US-based NGO that endeavours to save wildlife and wild lands though careful use of science, conservation action, education and the integration of urban wildlife parks. It runs a large international conservation programme and is based at the Bronx Zoo in New York.

WDCS www.wdcs.org

WDCS, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, is a charity dedicated to the conservation and welfare of all whales, dolphins and porpoises.

Established in 1987, WDCS is staffed by over 70 people, along with many volunteers, located in its offices in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Germany, the UK and the US. WDCS was a partner in the Year of the Dolphin campaigns in 2007 and 2008.

Wetlands International www.wetlands.org

Wetlands International is a global NGO dedicated to the conservation and wise use of wetlands. The group acts globally, regionally and nationally to achieve the conservation and wise use of wetlands, to benefit biodiversity and human well-being.

Wetlands International is an independent, not-for-profit, global organisation, supported by Government membership from all continents of the world, extensive specialist networks and volunteers. It currently works through 15 country offices — in Central and Eastern Europe, Africa, South, east and North Asia, Oceania and South America; with its head office in Wageningen, the Netherlands.

WHMSI www.fws.gov/international/dic/WHMSI/whmsi_eng.html

The Western Hemisphere Migratory Species Initiative (WHMSI) seeks to contribute significantly to the conservation of the migratory species of the Western Hemisphere by strengthening communication and cooperation among nations, international conventions and civil society, and by expanding constituencies and political support. The initiative includes all migratory species, covering taxa as diverse as birds, marine turtles, marine and terrestrial mammals, fish and invertebrates.

Objectives include to maintain a compilation of pertinent conservation resources; promote the adoption of best management practices; mitigate primary threats; restore populations of threatened species; facilitate the generation of key information; produce a catalogue of areas of importance for migratory species; articulate ongoing and planned conservation efforts; communicate and raise awareness of the ecological, economic and cultural importance of migratory species; and increase the constituency that supports the conservation of migratory species, including through the promotion of local initiatives.

The website "Western Hemisphere Migratory Species Initiative Pathway" can be accessed here and the WHMSI publication"Migratory Species: Biological, Cultural, and Economic Assets of the Americas" is available here in English, French and Spanish.

ZSL www.zsl.org

The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is a charity devoted to the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats.

ZSL scientists in the laboratory and the field, animal management teams at Regent’s Park and Whipsnade zoos and veterinarians contribute wide-ranging skills and experience to both practical conservation and to the scientific research that underpins this work.

ZSL runs seven broad conservation programmes in Britain and over 30 countries worldwide (bushmeat & forests; carnivores & people; deserts & rangelands; EDGE of existence programme; island ecosystems; marine & freshwater; and UK native species). The conservation of wild animals and their natural habitats is fundamental to ZSL’s aims and this involves working with local communities to conserve the environment and promote sustainability.