At the Fifth Meeting of Signatories (MOS5) of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation and Management of the Middle-European Population of the Great Bustard (Otis tarda), delegates from the 14 Signatory States and Cooperating Organizations agreed on transboundary conservation measures for the Great Bustard. The measures agreed in Bratislava aim to improve the conservation status of this iconic species, the ‘King of the Steppe’, which inhabits the open plains of Europe and Asia.

In the lead-up to the forthcoming 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP14), the Government of Uzbekistan and the CMS Secretariat are pleased to unveil the conference's official logo and slogan. The UN wildlife conservation conference is set to take place in the historic city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from 12 to 17 February 2024.

On this year’s World Sea Turtle Day, the CMS Secretariat is pleased to launch a new report on the Hawksbill Turtle.  The Assessment of the Conservation Status of the Hawksbill Turtle in the Western Pacific Ocean Region presents a synopsis of what is known about hawksbill turtles in the Western Pacific Ocean, including knowledge of nesting and foraging populations and legislative and protection measures across signatory states.

From the tropics to the Arctic circle, seagrasses are amongst the most widespread coastal habitats on the planet, existing in 159 countries. They are essential both for many migratory species of wild animals, as well as for climate change mitigation. Thousands of species depend on seagrasses for food, nursery grounds, and shelter.  Many others may use seagrass habitats as an important site for feeding along their migratory routes.