Workshop in Bolivia Helps Prepare Latin American and Caribbean Region for COP12

La Paz, 21 July 2017 -  The CMS Secretariat, in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment and Water of Bolivia, has concluded a fruitful Regional Preparatory Workshop, which took place from 18 to 20 July in La Paz, Bolivia.

The primary objective of the pre-COP workshop for Latin America and the Caribbean was to strengthen capacity and form regional alliances on the most relevant issues of COP12 to National Focal Points (NFPs) from Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Minister, Carlos Rene Ortuño and Vice-Minister, Cynthia Silva Maturana opened the workshop and highlighted migratory species conservation in the broader context of environmental protection and the wellbeing for humankind. Parties, Non-Parties and NGOs of the region forged strong alliances with the aim to make a notable difference at the 12th Conference of the Parties to CMS (CMS COP12) due to take place from 23 to 28 October, in Manila.

Participants from different countries were briefed on practical preparation for the Conference, negotiation skills, the COP agenda, and were given detailed presentations on the most relevant COP documents.  Participants actively contributed ideas on key regional priorities, valuable background knowledge and engaged in a lively exchange of information and experiences. Topics encompassed climate change, marine debris, bycatch, sustainable tourism, the analysis of national reports, community participation, the impact of renewable energies on migratory species, species proposals and the budget, among others.

Workshop participants once again recognized the CMS Family Manual as a useful tool for  COP preparation. In this context, Ugo Vercillo, NFP of Brazil, announced the translation of the manual into Portuguese to help fellow Portuguese-speaking colleagues around the world.

At a farewell dinner hosted by the Director General for Biodiversity and Protected Areas, Teresa Araleny Pérez Chávez, participants confirmed their intention to coordinate and strengthen the regional representation at COP12 in Manila, Philippines - a promise that will not only benefit migratory species but also the wellbeing of the people of Latin America and the Caribbean. Their future is our future!

 

The European Commission were recognized as Champion Plus for their generous support and commitment towards Building Capacity for Migratory Species Conservation for the period 2015-2018. This activity has been funded with the contribution granted by the European Commission under the Migratory Species Champion Programme and through the Global Public Goods and Challenges (GPGC Programme) Cooperation Agreements with UNEP.

 

Last updated on 17 Octubre 2017

Type: 
News
Region: 
South & Central America & The Caribbean