Bonn, 14 November 2007
– The CMS Secretariat informed its Standing Committee,
which met on 8-9 November at the UN Campus in Bonn, about
its ninth COP which will take place next year. The Conference
will be hosted by the Government of Italy in Rome from
1 –5 December 2008. An opening event is planned
for the evening of Sunday 30 November.
The Italian Ministry of the Environment and the UNEP/CMS
Secretariat have been discussing the dates and venue in
recent months, following the Italian Government’s
offer to host the COP, made at the end of last year. 2008
is a year of many wildlife conferences including CBD,
Ramsar, AEWA and IUCN. Both the Secretariat and the hosts
were anxious to identify dates in good time, which would
not clash with other dates, and would allow participants
the opportunity to digest and reflect the results of earlier
meetings before the ninth COP convenes in Rome to review
and refresh CMS’s mandate and priorities.
The COP will be held in the Headquarters of the UN Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO), with whom CMS have
been working increasingly closely on a range of issues
including avian influenza.
Commenting on the COP announcement, CMS Executive Secretary
Robert Hepworth said:
“I would particularly like to thank the Italian
Minister for the Environment and Protection of the Territory
and the Sea, Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio and the General Director
of Nature Conservation Service, Aldo Cosentino for their
generosity and support in offering to host the next CMS
Conference. The opportunity to hold the meeting in FAO
Headquarters is also welcome, because we will have access
to excellent UN facilities for delegates, and the opportunity
to demonstrate synergies between FAO and the Convention.
We are working on a special theme for the Conference,
which we expect to announce in 2008. We already know that
recent accessions, new species agreements and special
campaigns, such as the Year of the Dolphin, will provide
an encouraging platform for the next Conference. “
On the 30th of November an opening ceremony will be organized
in the same venue. It will probably include a “Partnership
Fair” with relevant speakers to emphasize the co-operation
among international conservation bodies.
Further CMS Meetings 27-30 November 2008: The next meetings
of the CMS Standing Committee and Scientific Council will
be held immediately before the COP meeting in Rome. During
the same period, there will also be a one-day first Meeting
of the Parties to the new CMS Gorilla Agreement.
