The Third Meeting of Siberian Crane Range States will take place in Ramsar, Islamic Republic of Iran, from 8 to 13 December 1998. The meeting is organized by the UNEP/CMS Secretariat, in collaboration with the Department of the Environment of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the International Crane Foundation. It will provide an opportunity to review implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding Concerning Conservation Measures for the Siberian Crane, with particular reference to the 1997-1999 Conservation Plan adopted in Bharatpur, India, in November 1996. A comprehensive project proposal for the conservation of Siberian Cranes and the habitats on which they depend, which is to be submitted to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for funding, will also be reviewed in detail.

It is expected that representatives of all nine known Range States of the western and central populations of the Siberian Crane will attend the Meeting, as will the UNEP/CMS Secretariat, the International Crane Foundation and the Wild Bird Society of Japan. The Government of China has been invited to participate as an observer, as have additional experts involved in the conservation of Siberian Cranes.