CMS

As an environmental treaty of the United Nations, CMS provides a global platform for the conservation and sustainable use of migratory animals and their habitats. CMS brings together the States through which migratory animals pass, the Range States, and lays the legal foundation for internationally coordinated conservation measures throughout a migratory range.

As the only global convention specializing in the conservation of migratory species, their habitats and migration routes, CMS complements and co-operates with a number of other international organizations, NGOs and partners in the media as well as in the corporate sector.

Migratory species threatened with extinction are listed on Appendix I of the Convention. CMS Parties strive towards strictly protecting these animals, conserving or restoring the places where they live, mitigating obstacles to migration and controlling other factors that might endanger them. Besides establishing obligations for each State joining the Convention, CMS promotes concerted action among the Range States of many of these species.

Migratory species that need or would significantly benefit from international co-operation are listed in Appendix II of the Convention. For this reason, the Convention encourages the Range States to conclude global or regional agreements.

In this respect, CMS acts as a framework Convention. The agreements may range from legally binding treaties (called Agreements) to less formal instruments, such as Memoranda of Understanding, and can be adapted to the requirements of particular regions. The development of models tailored according to the conservation needs throughout the migratory range is a unique capacity to CMS.

Access the text of the Convention on Migratory Species and the Appendices.

Countries

Title Status Status date CMS Party number Region
Morocco Party 1993 042 Africa
Montenegro Party 2009 111 Europe
Mongolia Party 1999 065 Asia
Monaco Party 1993 040 Europe
Micronesia Non-Party AM Oceania
Mexico Non-Party North America
Mauritius Party 2004 086 Africa
Mauritania Party 1998 054 Africa
Marshall Islands Non-Party Oceania
Malta Party 2001 074 Europe
Mali Party 1987 024 Africa
Maldives Party 2019 131 Asia
Malaysia Non-Party AM Asia
Malawi Party 2019 130 Africa
Madagascar Party 2007 101 Africa
Luxembourg Party 1983 001 Europe
Lithuania Party 2002 079 Europe
Liechtenstein Party 1997 052 Europe
Libya Party 2002 080 Africa
Liberia Party 2004 088 Africa
Instrument nameConvention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals
LanguagesEnglish
French
Spanish
DepositaryGermany
Website URLhttp://www.cms.int/
OtherSummary of the application of CMS to Overseas Territories/Autonomous Regions of Parties and of reservations regarding species in the CMS Appendices
AttachmentSize
PDF icon Convention text (English)29.28 KB
PDF icon Texte de la Convention (français)32.24 KB
PDF icon Texto de la Convención (español)36.45 KB
PDF icon ConventionText (Arabic) نص الاتفاقية422.25 KB
PDF icon Convention Text (Chinese) 公约文本746.12 KB
PDF icon Convention Text (Russian) текст Конвенции337.12 KB
PDF icon Application of CMS to Overseas Territories/Autonomous Regions of Parties & of reservations on species in the CMS Appendices143.53 KB

Related content