The CMS Secretariat is pleased to announced that the membership of CMS will grow to 80 Parties as of 1 September 2002 with the accession of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, which deposited its instrument of accession on 24 June 2002.

The Libyan Arab Jamahiriya is located in northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea. It is a Range State to 20 migratory species currently listed on CMS Appendix I, and to more than 90 species listed on Appendix II. Of particular interest to CMS, Libyan coasts constitute an important nesting ground for the Mediterranean population of the Loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta, and Libya still holds significant populations of endangered Sahelo-Saharan Antelope species, notably the Slender-horned Gazelle Gazella leptoceros and the Dorcas Gazelle Gazella dorcas.

Libya also has important staging, breeding and wintering sites for a number of bird species migrating across the Mediterranean between Eurasia and Africa. These include the Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni and the Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca, both listed in Appendix I and II, and the object of concerted actions under the Convention.