Bonn, 11th May 2009 - The Secretariat is publishing a short report today summarisng its outputs in 2008. Amongst the main achievements highlighted were the successful 9th Conference of Parties hosted by Italy, the creation of an outreach office in Washington, the negotiation of four new regional species agreements and the launch of 15 new publications, including a general brochure in 4 languages.

The Executive Secretary of the Convention, Robert Hepworth, paid tribute to the staff of the Secretariat, and the project donors and partners. “This was a really productive year for CMS”, he said. “We organized 16 meetings, including the full Conference of Parties in Rome, completed the vital new agreements on birds of prey, gorillas, West African dolphins and Andean Flamingoes and published an array of brochures, posters and scientific reports. We also completed Year of the Dolphin – our most visible global campaign ever - and got more than 50 countries to sign the Convention or species agreements.

“The confidence which people now have in CMS is illustrated by the generous decision of the Abu Dhabi Government to fund a new office there for raptors, turtles and dugongs, which will open next month. Although CMS faces the same financial challenges as other public agencies in the current climate, we believe our future is assured. Our Parties and Partners have together created a dynamic and independent force for global cooperation to conserve wildlife. Migratory species need CMS more than ever. As we celebrate our 30th Anniversary next month, we can take some pleasure in the framework we have already put in place, and build on it to protect species more effectively in the future”.

Click here to read the report