As communicated in Notification 2023/028, issued on 29 September 2023, the Secretariat has launched a process to convene the first extraordinary meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (ExCOP1), which will be held remotely from 28 to 30 November 2023 for the adoption of an interim budget for 2024 through a silence procedure.

Extension of the deadline for the submission of official letters supporting the convening of ExCOP1

Article VII, Paragraph 3, of the Convention provides that the Secretariat shall convene an extraordinary meeting of the COP on the written request of at least one-third of the Parties. The Secretariat would like to thank the Parties that have submitted their letters for their prompt response and support. As of today, 24 official letters requesting the convening of ExCOP1 have been received.

The Secretariat thus urges Parties to send official letters signed by their National Focal Points. The official letter should be addressed to the CMS Executive Secretary and sent as a scanned attachment by email to [email protected] by the extended deadline of 20 October 2023. A template of the letter is attached in Annex 1.

Annex 1 (in WORD) 

Documents

The provisional agenda of the meeting, and one draft resolution regarding the interim budget, will be published on the ExCOP1 website at least 3 weeks before the opening of the extraordinary meeting of the COP.

Credentials

Parties are requested to pay particular attention to the credentials of their representatives. The credentials are necessary for ensuring that representatives have the authority to make decisions on behalf of their country.

Representatives of Parties need to be granted powers by an appropriate authority enabling them to participate and represent their governments. As per Rule 3 (5) of the Rules of Procedure of the Conference of the Parties (COP ROP), representatives are encouraged to submit their credentials as soon as possible, and no later than 27 November, to allow efficient processing by the Secretariat and Credentials Committee.

Due to the exceptional nature of the meeting, an electronic copy of the credentials will be accepted on the understanding that a hard copy will be presented to the Secretariat as soon as possible by postal correspondence. The credentials should be sent as a scanned attachment by email to [email protected]. A sample letter of credentials that Parties may wish to use as a model is attached in Annex 2.

Parties may also consider issuing one letter of credentials for both the ExCOP1 and COP14 as long as the names of both meetings are clearly stated and all other requirements for the validity of credentials are met.

Credentials Committee

Rule 3 (3) of the COP ROP establishes that a Credentials Committee of not more than five representatives from at least three regions shall examine submitted credentials and shall report thereon to the meeting.

Parties are encouraged to consult within their regions and nominate the members of the Committee by 17 November 2023. Please send the nomination to the Secretariat at [email protected]   

Opening of the ExCOP1 and adoption of interim budget by Silence Procedure

On 28 November 2023, the Secretariat will send a communication on behalf of the CMS COP Presidency (India) as presiding officer to all registered participants that will open the extraordinary meeting of the COP and initiate the silence procedure for the adoption of the interim 2024 budget.

If no objection by a Party is received in 72 hours, the Resolution and interim budget will be considered adopted.   

Breaking the silence

A Party may break the silence during the duration of ExCOP1 by submitting a written comment to the presiding officer and copying the Secretariat.

Breaking the silence would suspend the meeting in order to provide time for further consultations that would allow the Parties to resolve the issue. Once the matter is resolved, the Secretariat, on behalf of the CMS COP Presidency (India) as presiding officer, would send a second communication to resume the meeting for the remaining hours.

For further information on registration, please contact the CMS Secretariat at [email protected]

For further information on the process and credentials, please contact Ms Valentina DaCosta ([email protected]) and Ms Maria Jose Ortiz ([email protected])