The 53rd Meeting of the Standing Committee of the CMS will take place on 19 and 20 October 2022 in Bonn, Germany.

This notification serves as an invitation for the meeting, which is open to all members and alternate members of the Standing Committee and representatives of CMS Parties, CMS Agreements, partner organizations and other observers.

Standing Committee members

Objectives of the Meeting

StC53 will be the second meeting of the Standing Committee since CMS COP13 and the first in-person meeting since CMS COP13. Its main objective will be to make progress on activities for the intersessional period between COP13 and COP14 in line with relevant COP13 mandates.

Prominent items on the agenda of the meeting include:

• Migratory Species in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework
• Implementation of the Strategic Plan for Migratory Species 2015-2023 and options for a follow-up
• Preparations for COP14
• Implementation of the Review Mechanism

Organizational matters

The meeting will take place in the Secretariat’s headquarters in Bonn.

The German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety has kindly agreed to provide simultaneous interpretation in English, French, Spanish and German.

The Sub-committee on Budget and Finance will meet on 18 October 2022.

Agenda and documents

The Provisional Agenda for the meeting and other papers for StC53 will be made available in due course, together with further programme details, on the StC53 page of the CMS website.

In accordance with the rules of procedure, the deadline for submitting reports and documents to the Secretariat for the consideration of the StC53 is 20 August 2022. All documents will be posted in the three working languages by 9 September 2022.

The template for submitting documents and reports from the regional representatives will be made available on the meeting webpage.

Participation

According to the Rules of Procedures, any Party or any observer admitted to the COP immediately preceding the meeting of the Committee, after advising the Secretariat of their intention to attend, can observe a meeting of the Committee. Other agencies or institutions that are not members of the Committee can participate as observers after approval of their participation by the Chair and Standing Committee members.

Registration

Please complete the online pre-registration form on the StC53 webpage.

• Members of the Standing Committee eligible for funding are encouraged to confirm their participation no later than 20 August 2022 in order to facilitate the necessary logistical arrangements.

• Any body or agency that is not a member of the Committee and wishes to observe a meeting shall submit a request to the Secretariat no later than 19 September 2022. Completing the CMS registration form shall serve as a request to participate.

• Members and alternates not eligible for funding are kindly requested to confirm their intention to participate in the meeting by completing the online pre-registration form at their earliest convenience and no later than 14 October 2022.

Travel arrangements

The Secretariat will arrange the travel for those participants receiving financial support. All participants will be responsible for their own hotel bookings. Information on hotels and local transport will be available on the meeting webpage in the Fact Sheet for participants.

Participants are invited to check whether they need an entry visa to Germany and, if necessary, apply for it at the earliest possible opportunity. Should you need a personalized invitation letter or any other assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the Secretariat.

COVID safety-related measures

Participants are responsible for ensuring compliance with any COVID-19 rules of the Government of Germany and their home country. The Secretariat will inform participants of any COVID-safety measures in line with local and national rules and regulations and UN guidance and requirements to be observed during the meeting. Such measures might include restrictions on the number of participants per delegation, proof of vaccination or/and a recent negative COVID test.

All participants are also responsible for having medical and travel insurance and covering any additional expenses due to quarantine and COVID testing.

Contacts

If you encounter problems with the online registration or require assistance with your visa application, kindly let the Secretariat know immediately at [email protected]

For further information about the 53rd Meeting of the Standing Committee of the CMS, please contact Ms Maria Jose Ortiz, Legal Officer, at [email protected]