This Notification relates to CMS Resolution 12.10 (Rev.COP14) and Decisions 14.148, 14:49 and 14.155 Conservation of African Eurasian Vultures.

Parties, Signatories to the Raptors MOU and non-Parties that are Range States of the Vulture MsAP ^[1] are requested to nominate one national focal point and one technical expert to represent their country in the Intergovernmental Vulture MsAP Working Group.

The Secretariat is seeking financial support for hiring a coordinator. Range States may provide support and host an in-person meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group or its Regional Committees.

1. Resolution 12.10 (Rev.COP14)“requests the Secretariat to facilitate continuation of the Vulture Coordination Team in the interim until it can facilitate operationalisation of the mandated Vulture Working Group and its associated structures (Vulture Steering Group and proposed Regional Implementation Committees) and team of coordinators, including by continuing to encourage engagement, communication, cooperation and collaboration between the stakeholders, by means of (regional) meetings and workshops, subject to the availability of funds”. The Secretariat is seeking funding and/or in-kind contributions for a coordinator of the Working Group , and for hosting a regional meeting  We would appreciate receiving offers of support by 27 December 2024, which should be sent to the following email address: [email protected].
2. Decision 14.155 a) requests the Secretariat to “operationalize the mandated Vulture Working Group and associated structures and facilitate continuation of the Vulture Coordination Team in the interim”, Parties Signatories to the Raptors MOU and non-Parties that are Range States to the Vulture MsAP are requested to nominate one national focal point and one technical expert to represent their country in the Intergovernmental Working Group by 27 December 2024, using the nomination Form in the Annex to this Notification.  Nominations should be sent  to the following email address: [email protected].

For further information please consult: [email protected]  

Decisions 14.148, 14.149 and 14.155 Conservation of African Eurasian Vultures

14.148 Directed to Parties, non-Party Range States, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations

Parties, non-Party Range States and stakeholders are encouraged to:

a) develop partnerships with anti-poaching initiatives and conservation groups concerned with poisoning of other taxonomic groups, including developing training courses, translating and disseminating examples of best practice, sharing protocols and regulations, transferring technology, and promoting the use of online tools to address specific issues that are relevant to the Vulture Multispecies Action Plan;

b) actively engage with the Energy Task force, the CMS regional task forces on illegal killing, taking and trade of wild birds and the Intergovernmental Task Force on Phasing Out the Use of Lead Ammunition and Lead Fishing Weights;

c) participate in the ongoing development of the Mid-term Review of the Vulture Multi-species Action Plan and take the findings into consideration while implementing the Action Plan;

d)  support the upcoming Mid-term Review of the Cinereous Vulture Flyway Action Plan; and

e)  ensure the national implementation of the Vulture MsAP integrates the findings of the Mid-term Reviews into their (revised) National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs).

14.149 Directed to Parties, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations

Parties, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations are encouraged to provide the Secretariat with information on the activities carried out towards the implementation of the Vulture MsAP in time for the Secretariat to report at the 15th Conference of the Parties. 

14.155 Directed to the Secretariat

The Secretariat shall:

a) operationalize the mandated Vulture Working Group and associated structures and facilitate continuation of the Vulture Coordination Team in the interim;

b) liaise with the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species (CITES) to assist in the implementation of the trade-related aspects of the Multi-species Action Plan to Conserve African-Eurasian Vultures (Vulture MsAP) 2017-2029, building on ongoing initiatives such as the West Africa Strategy on Combatting Wildlife Crime (WASCWC) and subject to external funding;

c) subject to external funding, support the implementation of capacity building activities aimed at providing support to the West African Range States in implementing the Vulture MsAP;

d) in collaboration with the CITES Secretariat, consider available conservation status information from the whole geographic range of the vulture species concerned for inclusion in the CITES Secretariat reporting to the Animals and Standing Committees; and

e)  subject to external funding, support the implementation of capacity building activities aimed at providing support to the range States in implementing the Vulture MsAP.