Bonn – 22 October: Taking advantage of his invitation to speak at the 8th Global Meeting of the Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans held in Beijing 12-13 October 2006. CMS Executive Secretary Rob Hepworth later held high-level meetings with Chinese officials to enhance the Convention’s cooperation with China.

On 16 October Mr. Hepworth met Mr Su Wei, Deputy Director-General at the Department of Treaty and Laws of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and two MFA colleagues. The Executive Secretary of CMS recently sent a detailed, formal submission to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr Li Zhaoxing, seeking China’s accession to the Convention.

Later the same day Mr Hepworth travelled to the HQ of the key State Forestry Administration (SFA) where he met Ms Zhang Hongyan, the Deputy Director-General for International Co-operation, who was accompanied by three senior SFA colleagues, Mr Wang Wei, Mr Zhang Dehui and Mr Zhang Zhongtian. The SFA is responsible under Chinese law for the conservation of 93 % of the migratory species found in China.

Mr Hepworth commented, “ Both the meetings were friendly and constructive. There was an obvious desire on both sides to find a way to facilitate China’s early accession to the Convention, which Parties and the Secretariat would warmly welcome. I believe that the information that I presented to the Chinese Authorities on the benefits of CMS membership was well received, and that the Convention’s relationship with China will deepen and reach its destined outcome.”

Conservation projects in China would benefit from their being a Party to CMS. One advantage is the access to funding for research and conservation projects. Almost US $ 2 million has been distributed through the CMS Small Grants Project during the last ten years. As a Party, China could submit research and conservation projects to the Scientific Council for funding. CMS is also increasingly gaining access to grants from major international donors such as GEF and the European Commission for conservation projects benefiting migratory species within the context of sustainable development.

As a Party, China would also be better placed to participate in CMS global and regional initiatives. For example, China would be “on the front row “as a key range and consumer state in the negotiations due to begin in January 2007 on a possible global CMS agreement on sharks. China would also be able to exercise enhanced influence in the final round of negotiations to finalise a CMS Agreement for the vital Central Asian Flyway, used by millions of migratory birds in the region. A further example is a new CMS project to conserve Central Eurasian Aridland mammals, which was agreed at COP8. China has key populations of many of the mammals, and would benefit as this programme takes off, and attracts international funding. The species include Yaks (Bos grunniens), Bactrian Camels (Camelus bactrianus), Snow Leopards (Uncia uncia) the Asiatic Wild Ass (Equus hemionus), and the Mongolian Gazelle (Procapra gutturosa).

China already participates fully in the CMS MoU on the Conservation of the Siberian Crane. The world’s largest remaining wild population of Siberian Cranes over- winters at Lake Poyang in Central China. In June 2005 Chinese delegates took part in a meeting to agree the principles for a Western/Central Asian Site Network for Siberian Cranes. China has been an active partner in the implementation of the associated US $20 million UNEP/GEF project to conserve wetlands on which cranes and other waterbirds depend. Indeed, China’s contribution to implementing the project has had a very positive impact on conservation and boosted information exchange with other participating countries.

The CMS Scientific Officer, Marco Barbieri, will visit China to participate in the upcoming annual conference of Living Lakes, the global network of lakes and wetlands to be held from 29 October to 3 November in Nanchang, close to Lake Poyang. A workshop on “Avian influenza, wild animals and environment” will be held in the margins of the conference. CMS has initiated the Scientific Task Force on Avian Influenza (AI), which has brought 13 UN and expert NGO bodies together to pool their expertise on interaction between wild birds and the H5N1 virus. During his recent visit to Beijing, the Executive Secretary offered to produce a version of the Task Force’s new AI leaflet in Chinese if the Chinese authorities were able to assist with translation. The leaflet can be downloaded from the CMS website here.

Other migratory birds offer further potential for CMS and China to collaborate. China is a range state for three important bird species: Black-faced Spoonbill (Platalea minor), Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Eurynorhynchus pygmeus), and Chinese Crested-tern (Sterna bernsteini). In cooperation with BirdLife International, CMS is developing International Action Plans for these bird species to which the Chinese Government and NGO bodies are contributing.

China’s contribution to conserving migratory species also includes marine species. It has participated in meetings to develop an agreement on dugongs and sent a representative to the fourth meeting of the Signatory States to the Indian Ocean South East Asian Marine Turtle MoU (IOSEA) in March this year.

China has also been very actively engaging in CMS’ processes on the critically endangered Saiga Antelope (Saiga tatarica tatarica) first during the World Conservation Congress in November 2004 in Bangkok and, most recently, on the occasion of the first meeting of the Signatories of the Saiga Antelope MoU in September 2006, where China made an innovative proposal endorsed by the meeting to begin exploring how the use of Saiga horn in traditional medicine could be linked back to conservation within the four Central Asian range states.

Commenting on his visit, Mr Hepworth concluded: “Key environmental issues like wildlife conservation need effective global and regional leadership. Results can only be achieved when the objectives and interests of key range states are reflected in our policies. China’s contribution to conserving migratory species is essential for effective programmes at international and regional levels. Accession to the Convention would enable China to help determine the policy directions and take a leadership role. It would also give a major boost to the whole of the CMS programme in Asia”.

In December, a further meeting is being organized in China with the assistance of the German Government (GTZ) at which representatives of key Departments, including MFA, SEPA and SFA can take part in a further dialogue with two key CMS officers – legal and agreements expert Lyle Glowka, and Inter-Agency Liaison Officer Ms Paola Deda. This meeting will be held within the framework of the Sino-German Program on Environmental Policy Consultation Services and Environmental Management. This will give a further opportunity to discuss all issues affecting China’s potential accession to CMS.