CMS Standing Committee Adopts Decisions to Advance the Implementation of the Convention
The 52nd CMS Standing Committee took place from 21-29 September 2021. © RobertGreene674/Adobe
PRESS RELEASE
Bonn, 30 September 2021 - Following a week of global meetings held entirely online, the 52nd Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) concluded with important outcomes to take the work forward under the Convention.
CMS Executive Secretary Amy Fraenkel said: “The 52nd Session of the Standing Committee, held online for the first time, advanced important work under the Convention. The CMS Secretariat has been able to function and deliver on its mandate by making progress in implementing the current Programme of Work.”
The Standing Committee is responsible for carrying out interim activities on behalf of the Conference of the Parties to make sure its decisions and resolutions are implemented.
The meeting was the first since the 13th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP13) and helped make progress on the ambitious programme of work adopted at COP13 by ensuring that decisions are being implemented.
Among the key outcomes, the Committee agreed to:
- Adopt a revised Format for National Reports that will be used by CMS Parties to report on progress at COP14 in 2023;
- Endorse the CMS-CITES Joint Work Programme 2021-2025. This Work Programme, already endorsed by the CITES Standing Committee at its 73rd meeting, includes joint conservation and management activities for species shared between the two Conventions such as Argali, Saiga Antelope, big cats, Great Apes, African Elephant, Saker Falcon, marine turtles and sharks.
- Approve the Joint CITES-CMS African Carnivores Initiative (ACI). The ACI aims to ensure efficient implementation of resolutions and decisions of both Conventions on the African lion, cheetah, leopard, and wild dog, and to related recommendations of Range States.
The Standing Committee also appointed Dr. Ruth Cromie (UK) as a new Scientific Councilor, who brings expertise on zoonotic diseases to the work of the Convention.
Standing Committee Chair Soumitra Dasgupta said: “The 52nd Standing Committee meeting was a historic event, being the first ever online meeting of the Standing Committee of the CMS. Fruitful decisions were taken on many accounts and a roadmap for many laid to further the cause of the migratory species. Congratulations to the efforts of the CMS Secretariat and delegates in making it successful”.
The 53rd Meeting of the Standing Committee will be held in October 2022 in Bonn.
Notes for Editors:
About the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS)
An environmental treaty of the United Nations, the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) provides a global platform for the conservation and sustainable use of migratory animals and their habitats. This unique treaty brings governments and wildlife experts together to address the conservation needs of terrestrial, aquatic, and avian migratory species and their habitats around the world. Since the Convention's entry into force in 1979, its membership has grown steadily to include
132 Parties from Africa, Central and South America, Asia, Europe and Oceania.
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Last updated on 26 November 2021
