Following Notification No 2022/023: Nomination of Candidates for the COP-Appointed Councillor Subject Areas of Aquatic Mammals and Climate Change, only one candidate for the COP-Appointed Councillor for Climate Change was nominated. The 6th meeting of the Sessional Committee of the CMS Scientific Council considered the matter and requested the Secretariat to seek additional candidates for the position, and to present the final list of candidates to COP14 for consideration.

Through this Notification the Secretariat is therefore seeking nominations for additional candidates for the COP-appointed Councillor for the subject area of Climate Change.

Candidates should be internationally recognized experts in the field, preferably with expertise relevant to climate change and migratory species or biodiversity matters more broadly. They do not need to be nationals of a Party submitting a nomination, or even of a CMS Party.

Annexed to this Notification are generic terms of reference for COP-appointed Councillors. Nominations would be sent in writing to the Secretariat to [email protected], copying [email protected], by 30 September 2023.

Nominations should include a statement justifying the candidature, a CV of the candidate, as well as a declaration by the candidate expressing their readiness to accept the appointment if selected. Appointments will be for the intersessional period between COP14 (February 2024) and COP15, approximately 3 years later, with possible reappointment.

Considering that COP-appointed Councillors are usually called to coordinate and/or chair working groups at CMS Scientific Council meetings, normally operating in English without simultaneous interpretation, a good command of English is considered necessary to efficiently undertake the task. Knowledge of the other working languages of the Scientific Council (French, Spanish) would be an asset.

The position of COP-appointed Councillor is not remunerated. Based on currently applicable rules and policies, and subject to availability of resources, the Secretariat will cover the travel and subsistence allowance related to the participation of the COP-appointed Councillors to meetings of the Sessional Committee of the Scientific Council (normally two in the intersessional period between COPs) and of the COP (normally one meeting in a triennium).

The Secretariat will compile all nominations received and will make them available to COP14 for consideration.

For further information or clarification on the COP-Appointed Councillor subject area and the nomination process, please contact the CMS Scientific Adviser Ms. Dagmar Zikova [email protected].

Background

The 13th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CMS (Gandhinagar, India, 15-22 February 2020) decided on the appointment of COP-appointed Councillors for the intersessional period between COP13 and COP14 for the following subject areas:  Birds, Terrestrial Mammals, Aquatic Mammals, Fish, Climate Change, Connectivity/Networks, Marine Pollution, Bycatch, and Invasive Species/Wildlife Disease.  Based on a recommendation of the Scientific Council, COP13 also agreed on a review process that should occur every two COP cycles to ensure the ongoing applicability of the subject areas (see document UNEP/CMS/COP13/Doc.15.1 Revision of COP-appointed Councillor Subject Areas for details). The subject areas approved by COP13 are therefore expected to be confirmed for the intersessional period between COP14 and COP15.

The COP-appointed Councillors for Aquatic Mammals (Dr. Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara) and Climate Change (Prof. Colin Galbraith) have informed the Secretariat that they are not going to seek reappointment for the intersessional period between COP14 and COP15. The Secretariat compiled all nominations received and will make them available to COP14 for consideration. Prior to COP14, the 6th meeting of the Sessional Committee of the Scientific Council (Bonn, Germany, 18-21 July 2023) has consulted on the nominations received with a view to formulating its recommendations on the selection of candidates to the COP.

Only one candidate was nominated for the COP-appointed Councillor for Climate Change. The Scientific Council requested the Secretariat to seek additional candidates for the position, and to present the list of the candidates to COP14 for consideration.

The Scientific Council has formulated its recommendation regarding the position of the COP-appointed Councillor on Aquatic Mammals¹. The current COP-appointed Councillors for all other subject areas have confirmed their availability to remain in their appointed positions following COP14.