
The Intergovernmental Task Force on Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Migratory Birds in the Mediterranean (MIKT) has been convened by the CMS Secretariat in conjunction with the Secretariat of AEWA, the Raptors MOU Coordinating Unit and the African-Eurasian Migratory Landbirds Action Plan (AEMLAP) Working Group. It brings together governmental representatives of CMS Parties from the Mediterranean region, including European Union Member States, and other interested Parties. Representatives from non-CMS Parties as well as relevant international organizations and networks are also part of MIKT as observers..
As of April 2024, the Membership of the Task Force consists of 22 CMS Parties. Additionally, three Interested Parties (CMS Parties which do not have a Mediterranean coast), and one Non-Party are Observers to the MIKT. Twelve multilateral environmental agreements (represented by their Secretariats), organizations and networks, and nine non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are Observers to MIKT. A list of all Members and Observers can be found below.
Finally, MIKT collaborates with other international organisations involved in wildlife crime, on an ad hoc basis, such as the European Network for Prosecutors for the Environment (ENPE), the EU Forum of Judges for the Environment (EUFJE), IMPEL and others.
The establishment of the Task Force was mandated through CMS COP Resolution 11.16 (Rev.COP14) on the illegal killing, taking and trade of migratory birds (IKB) to facilitate international cooperation as well as the implementation of the existing guidelines and action plans. Resolution 11.16 was adopted in 2014 in COP11, and has since been amended and updated in COP12, COP13 and COP14. There are also a number of Decisions related to particular aspects of the work, e.g. Decisions 13.27 to 13.31 - Task Force on Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Migratory Birds in the Mediterranean (MIKT). The MIKT Modus operandi was adopted in 2016 and it also foresees a Consultative Group that advises MIKT.
MIKT is working as a catalyst to gather information scattered amongst diverse international organizations, and to help experts coordinate their work. The Mediterranean region is a hotspot for illegal killing, taking and trade of migratory birds (IKB), and MIKT is the first pan-Mediterranean task force aiming to serve, when appropriate, as a model approach for other parts of the world that also face IKB-related issues.
From 2016 to 2021, four meetings of MIKT were held, since 2017 the meetings are held as joint meetings with the Bern Convention Network of Special Focal Points (SFPs) on Eradication of Illegal Killing, Trapping and Trade in Wild Birds. The key outcomes and documents produced and endorsed by MIKT to date are:
- Cairo Declaration in 2016
- MIKT Programme of Work (POW) 2016-2020. The MIKT Programme of Work complemented the Tunis Action Plan (TAP) 2013-2020, for the remaining five years of the TAP. The TAP was the strategic document on IKB for the Bern Convention for the period 2013-2020
- The Scoreboard to Assess the Progress in Combating Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Wild Birds (IKB): the IKB Scoreboard is a voluntary self-assessment tool for countries to evaluate and rank the progress made at national and regional level. To date, three Scoreboard assessments have been completed (in 2018, 2020 and 2023). Subsequent assessments will be carried out every three years within the geographical scope of the contracting Parties of MIKT and the Bern Convention. The Scoreboard was adopted as Annex 1 to Resolution 11.16, by CMS COP12 in 2017. For more information on the Scoreboard, please visit the IKB Scoreboard dedicated page.
- Rome Strategic Plan 2020-2030 on Eradicating Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade in Wild Birds in Europe and the Mediterranean region. The RSP constitutes the strategic framework for the MIKT and the Bern Convention SFPs for the period 2020-2030.
- MIKT Workplan for the period 2021-2025. The earlier Programme of Work was for the period 2016-2020.
The fifth meeting of MIKT (4th Joint meeting) took place from 7 to 9 June 2022, in Valencia, Spain and online in hybrid format. Main outcomes of the meeting include the adoption of additional instructions for enhanced narrative comments in the Scoreboard; the presentation for comments ahead of endorsement of legislative guidance; and the presentation for comments ahead of endorsement of guidance on conducting socio-economic surveys to monitor motivations for IKB.
Additionally, at MIKT5 there was a lot of exchange and sharing of experience and best practice from different countries.
MIKT6 is expected to take place in autumn 2024.
The European Union was recognized as Champion Plus for their generous support and commitment towards addressing Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Migratory Birds in the Mediterranean for the period 2015 - 2028.
MEMBERS OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL TASK FORCE ON ILLEGAL KILLING, TAKING AND TRADE OF MIGRATORY BIRDS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN (MIKT) |
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1. Albania |
Ms Edit Vardhami |
Directorate of Environmental Development Programs, Ministry of Tourism and Environment |
2. Algeria |
Ms Fifi Mouhoubi
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Cheffe du bureau de l' Organisation de la Chasse a la Direction Générale des Forêts CMS FP |
3. Bosnia-Herzegovina |
Ms Nada Mlinar Ms Vanda Medic |
Executive assistant for International Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations [email protected] |
4. Croatia |
Ms Maja Polic |
Nature Protection Inspector, Directorate for Inspection, Ministry of Environment and Nature Protection |
5. Cyprus |
Mr Pantelis Hadjijerou
Mr Panicos Panayides
|
Head of Game and Fauna Service, Ministry of the Interior Officer, Game and Fauna Service, Ministry of Interior |
6. Egypt |
Mr Luay El Sayed |
Coordinator of Wildlife Programme Nature Conservation Sector Environmental Affairs Agency |
7. European Union |
Ms Iva Obretenova Ms Cristina Chirtes Mr Jeremie Crespin |
European Commission, |
8. France |
Mr Charles-Henri de Barsac
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Chargé de mission pour les actions européennes et internationales en faveur de la faune et de la flore sauvage, Ministère de l’Environnement, de l’Enérgie et de la Mer |
9. Greece |
Mrs Kalomoira Agapitou
Mrs Anastasia Stergiou
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Section for Wildlife and Game Management of the Directorate for Forest Management
Section for Wildlife and Game Management of the Directorate for Forest Management
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10. Israel |
Mr Simon Nemtzov Mr Ben Rosenberg
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Wildlife Ecologist and Coordinator of International Treaties, Israel Nature and Parks Authority |
11. Italy |
Ms Arianna Aradis
Mr Claudio Marrucci (Tenente Colonnello Claudio Marrucci)
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Area Avifauna Migratrice, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA) Comandante del Reparto Operativo del Raggruppamento Carabinieri CITES |
12. Lebanon |
Mr Jeff Gerges |
Environment Specialist at the Ministry of Environment |
13. Libya |
Mr Abdalbaset Hassan Abushiba Massoud |
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14. Malta |
Ms Jessica Fenech
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Scientific Coordinator, Birds Regulation Unit, Parliamentary Secretariat for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights |
15. Monaco |
Mr Ludovic Aquilina |
Chef de Section, Direction de l’Environment |
16. Montenegro |
Ms Anela Sijarić |
Head of Department Freshwater and Terrestrial Ecosystems |
17. Morocco |
Ms Hayat Mesbah |
Chef de Service de la Conservation |
18. Slovenia |
Mr Andrej Bibic (CMS Focal Point) |
Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning |
19. Spain |
Mr Borja Armada Heredia Mr Rubén Moreno-Opo Díaz -Meco
Mr Fernando Magdaleno Mas |
Subdirección General de Medio Natural, Dirección General de Calidad y Evaluación Ambiental y Medio Natural, Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico
Subdirector General de Biodiversidad Terrestre y Marina, Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico (MITECO) |
20. Syrian Arab Republic |
Eng. Belal Alhayek |
Director Biodiversity, Biodiversity, Land and Nature Reserves Directorate, Ministry of State for Environment Affairs |
21. Tunisia |
Mr Jamel Tahri |
Ingénieur principal a la Direction Générale des Forêts au Ministere de l’Agriculture, des Ressources Hydrauliques et de la Peche |
22. United Kingdom |
Ms Kate Brickett |
Head of Wildlife Management and Crime, Natural Environment Policy, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs(DEFRA) |
MIKT OBSERVERS |
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Interested Parties [1] |
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1. Germany |
Ms Berit Gewert |
Division of Species Protection, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) |
2. Portugal |
Mr Joao Loureiro |
Head of Unit - Institute of Nature Conservation and Forests |
3. Jordan
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Eng. Belal Qtishat |
CMS Focal Point, Director of Nature protection Directorate, Ministry of Environment |
Non-Parties |
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1. Palestine |
Nomination pending |
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2. Türkiye |
Mr Fehmi Arikan
Mr Burak Tatar
Mr Cengiz ÖĞÜNÇ |
Expert - Department of Game Management GD of Nature Conservation and National Parks Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs Wildlife Biologist, Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs National Focal Point of the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) |
MEA Secretariats & networks |
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1. AEWA Secretariat |
Mr Sergey Dereliev |
Programme Management Officer, Head of Science, Implementation and Compliance Unit |
2. Bern Convention Secretariat |
Mr Mikael Poutiers Ms Marta Medlinska |
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3. CITES Secretariat |
Mr Barend Van Rensburg Mr Edward Van Asch Caballero |
Chief of Enforcement Support |
4. CMS Secretariat |
Mr Iván Ramírez Mr Tilman Schneider Ms Susan Tsang |
CMS Secretariat |
5. Task Force Coordinator |
Ms Clairie (Foteini) Papazoglou |
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6. Raptors MOU |
Mr Umberto Gallo Orsi |
Coordinating Unit |
7. INTERPOL |
Ms Cindy Chimal |
Environmental Security INTERPOL General Secretariat |
8. UNEP |
Ms Lobna Ben Nakhla
Mr Harald Egerer |
UNEP MAP Regional Activity Centre, Tunisia Head of the Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention, UNEP's Regional Office for Europe |
9. UNODC |
Ms Olga Kuzmianok
Mr Jorge Rios |
Programme manager of Global Programme for Combating Wildlife and Forest Crime Chief, Global Programme for Combating Wildlife and Forest Crime, and |
10. UNDP
|
Mr Yves de Soye |
Regional Technical Advisor, Ecosystems & Biodiversity, Global Environmental Finance Unit, Bureau for Policy and Programme Support |
11. EU Forum of Judges for the Environment (EUFJE) |
Mr Jan Van den Bergue Ms Farah Bouquelle |
Vice-president Court of First Instance, East-Flanders/ High Council of the Judiciary |
12. European Network of Prosecutors for the Environment (ENPE) |
Mr Shaun Robinson Mr Lars Magnusson |
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13. Europol |
Mr José Antonio Alfaro Moreno |
EU Organised Crime Team |
Advisory Bodies |
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1. CMS Standing Committee |
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Chair – CMS Standing Committee
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2. Scientific Council CMS |
Ms Narelle Montgomery |
Chair Scientific Council |
3. AEWA Technical Committee |
Mr Hichem Azafzaf, Regional representative of N Africa Mr Taulant Bino, Regional representative of C Europe Mr Nils Bunnefeld, Thematic expert on rural economics |
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4. Raptors MOU Technical Advisory Group |
Mr Andre Botha |
Chair Technical Advisory Group |
5. Landbirds Working Group
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Mr Olivier Biber Mr Alain Jacot Mr Peter Knaus Mr Reto Spaar
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Chair Landbirds Working Group Coordinator - Landbirds WG |
6. Flyways Working Group |
Mr Taej Mundkur |
Chair Flyways Working Group |
7. Tour du Valat
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Ms Laura Dami |
Project Leader - Waterbirds monitoring in the Mediterranean region |
8. CMS Preventing Poisoning Working Group
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Mr David de la Bodega
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Coordinator (interim) SEO, Head of Legal Program |
NGOs | ||
1. BirdLife International |
Ms Nicola Crockford Ms Vicky Jones Mr Willem Van den Bossche Ms Lilla Barabas |
International Policy Officer |
2. CABS (Committee against Bird Slaughter) |
Mr Andrea Rutigliano | Enforcement Officer [email protected] |
3. EURONATUR |
Mr Stefan Ferger Ms Justine Vansynghel |
Project Management Project Officer |
4. FACE (European Hunter's Federation) |
Mr David Scallan Mr Cy Griffin |
Secretary General Senior Conservation Manager |
5. IMPEL (European Enforcement Network) |
Mr Alfred Dreijer Mr Cristian Trupina |
Board Member & Team Leader Nature Experts Board Member & Deputy Team Leader Nature Experts |
6. IUCN |
Ms Catherine Numa Ms Helena Clavero |
Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, Málaga |
7. TRAFFIC (Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network) |
Ms Vinciane Sacré |
EU-TWIX Administrator
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8. IAF (International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey) | Mr Gary Timbrell |
Executive Officer
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9. SEO (Spanish Ornithological Society) | Mr David de la Bodega |
Head of legal program |
10. Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF) | Mr Jovan Andevski |
Programmes Manager & European Regional Coordinator Vulture Multi-species Action Plan |
[1] Terms of Referenceof MIKT states that representatives of Parties elsewhere in the African-Eurasian Flyway and beyond that wish to support the work of the Task Force can also be invited to contribute to the Task Force.
CMS Mandate
- Resolution 11.16 (Rev. COP 13): The Prevention of Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Migratory Birds
- Resolution 11.16 (Rev. COP13) Annex 1: Scoreboard to Assess the Progress in Combating Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Wild Birds (IKB)
- Decisions 13.27 to 13.31 - Task Force on Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Migratory Birds in the Mediterranean (MIKT)
Operation of MIKT - Key Documents
- MIKT Modus Operandi (2016)
- Future periodic assessment in the framework of the Rome Strategic Plan and Frequency and format of future joint meetings (2021)
Key Documents: MIKT Workplan Implementation
Current
- Rome Strategic Plan (2019)
- MIKT Workplan for the period 2021-2025
- Paper on the Baseline and Methodology for Assessing Progress toward Achieving the Rome Strategic Plan 2020-2030: Eradicating Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade in Wild Birds in Europe and the Mediterranean Region, adopted by MIKT members in 2021.
Older
CMS Fact Sheets
CMS Fact Sheet on MIKT (June 2023)
CMS Fact Sheet on IKB (June 2023)
Bern Convention Related Initiatives and Documents
Convention Texts
- Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)
- Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention)
- Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES Convention)
Relevant CMS Agreements, MOUs, Action Plans and Initiatives
- Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA)
- Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Birds of Prey in Africa and Eurasia (Raptors MOU)
- African-Eurasian Migratory Landbirds Action Plan (AEMLAP)
- Resolution 11.16 (Rev. COP13) Annex 2: Terms of Reference of the Intergovernmental Task Force to Address Illegal Hunting, Taking and Trade of Migratory Birds in Asian-Australasian Flyway
Useful Links
IKB SCOREBOARD DATA Rome Strategic Plan 2020-2030 National IKB Action Plans
- Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP
- Bradnee Chambers, Executive Secretary of UNEP/CMS [WMBD2016] [WED2016]
- Braulio Ferreira De Souza Dias, Executive Secretary of UNEP/CBD
- Jacques Trouvilliez, Executive Secretary of UNEP/AEWA
- Patricia Zurita, CEO of Birdlife International
- INTERPOL
- EUFJE
- George Aman, President of CIC
- Fernando Spina, Chair of Scientific Council of UNEP/CMS