Bonn,
26 May 2008 – The scenic view from ‘Langer
Eugen’s’ 29th floor was spectacular as 150
guests from around the world gathered at the UN Campus
in Bonn for the CMS side event.
Robert Hepworth, Convention on Migratory Species (CMS),
opened the event by underscoring the importance of the
CMS for international biodiversity conservation. He then
highlighted some CMS initiatives, prominently including
events during the Year of the Dolphin in Kenya, and called
on participants to visit Kenya, with a view to reviving
its tourist economy. He said: “In order for conservation
to work in Kenya, revenues from tourism and wildlife watching
are essential. As the situation has calmed down considerably,
I urge any and all of you to go enjoy the spectacular
wildlife and the beauty of Kenya.”
CMS Ambassador Stanley Johnson then took the stage and
praised the work of the CMS and drew attention to the
recent work of the scientific task force on avian flu,
which among other things tries to educate the public on
the probably minor role of wild birds in spreading the
disease. He mentioned the plight of a number of terrestrial
mammals, including the addax, an endangered antelope of
which there are only 200 left in the wild and highlighted
the signing of a CMS-related agreement in Turkmenistan
regarding antelope. He also discussed the efforts to protect
the last remaining Mediterranean monk seals and South
American leatherback turtles, as well as CMS’s important
and growing role in the conservation of whales and dolphins
worldwide. Finally, he lauded the conclusion of a legally
binding agreement to protect Gorillas in their Central
African home, which was signed last year in Paris and
will become active in June. He concluded by drawing attention
to the fact that 2009 will be the Year of the Gorilla,
a campaign that will combine awareness raising with political
advancement of Gorilla conservation and support for conservation
on the ground.
Dr. Elsa Nickel, German Federal Ministry for the Environment,
provided an update on the COP negotiations, celebrating
the spirit of the ABS consultative group. She congratulated
CMS on it work and underscored Germany’s support
for the ongoing programmes. She announced that, on account
of his proactive lifelong work, Arnulf Müller-Helbrecht,
the former Executive Secretary of the CMS, had been made
a CMS Ambassador. He was presented with a golden ‘Ambassador
Pin’ by Executive Secretary Robert Hepworth.
Amanda Lawrence, Australian Department of the Environment,
announced the imminent 109th signatory to the CMS (Mozambique)
and heralded the launch of the new, comprehensive CMS
Encyclopedia.
All participants then had the chance to discuss and enjoyed
a delicious buffet provided by the CMS.
