Bonn,
2 December 2013 - The Republic of Ecuador will host the 11th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties. The meeting will be held in the city of Guayaquil in November 2014. The decision was taken during the 41st Meeting of the Standing Committee on 28 November in Bonn. It will be the first time that a CMS COP is held in Latin America.

The Ambassador of Ecuador to Germany, Jorge Jurado Mosquera, presented the offer of the South American country to the Committee members. Ecuador is one of the most mega-diverse countries on Earth. By way of illustration, one hectare in the Yasuni National Park has more plant species than the whole of North America. A selection of images featured unique marine, terrestrial and avian species in their diverse ecosystems.   The Andean State is also the first to have granted rights to nature in its constitution.



The Ambassador expressed the hope that hosting an international treaty such as the CMS will increase the reputation of the country. At the same time Ecuador could demonstrate that it is leading in the implementation of the Convention.

Chile being the regional representative of South America in the Standing Committee had suggested Ecuador as host for the CMS COP.



Ecuador has committed to cover the costs of the COP11, the Standing Committee and travel of CMS staff. The Ambassador emphasized that Ecuador did not require visas for short-term visitors, which would facilitate delegates’ travel. The venue proposed is the Convention Centre in Guayaquil, the country’s largest city and economic capital. 





A competing proposal was made by the Philippines, represented by Carolina Constantino, Political Attachée at the Embassy in Berlin. The presentation of the country, which also belongs to the "mega biodiversity countries", was very well received by the delegates, who agreed that the Philippines should host COP12 in 2017.