Fourth Meeting of the Americas Flyways Task Force
Online - 27 November 2026
10:00 am (UTC-6)
A fourth meeting of the Americas Flyways Task Force will take place online. The meeting will be open to all Task Force Members and interested American countries and other stakeholders
Objectives of the meeting:
To inform Parties, Range States, and partners of progress made in advancing the Initiative for the Conservation of Migratory Birds in the Americas (IRMA), including progress since CMS COP15 and the work of the Ad Hoc Committee.
To update participants on ongoing preparations for the establishment of IRMA, including upcoming in-person meeting, governance arrangements, key documents under development, and the proposed timeline toward COP16.
The Americas Flyways Framework (AFF) Task Force was established under CMS Resolution 11.14 “Migratory Birds and Flyways”. The Task Force aims to strengthen cooperation among countries across the Americas, focusing on concerted conservation actions for migratory bird species. Relevant hemispheric entities are involved with the aim of reinforcing their mandates. The goal of the AFF Task Force is to establish a shared and common practice for conservation of migratory birds in the countries of the Americas, strengthening the implementation of already existing initiatives for migratory bird conservation in the region and promoting cooperation between countries. The Task Force facilitates implementation of the AFF and associated Action Plan, with a focus on filling gaps and enacting conservation on the ground
During CMS COP15, the Parties adopted relevant decisions to strengthen work on flyways. In particular, Decision 15.151 encourages Range States of the Americas Flyways to collaborate with the CMS Secretariat in developing a new initiative for the Americas Flyways (IAF), aimed at coordinating and facilitating the implementation of the Framework and Action Plan for the Americas Flyways, with a view to its consideration for adoption at COP16. The decision also recognizes the importance of strengthening cooperation among CMS Parties, non-Party Range States, and other relevant stakeholders in the region. This process is also being developed in coordination with existing CMS instruments concerning migratory species and flyways, as well as with other relevant multilateral environmental agreements, conventions, initiatives, and partnerships, with the aim of generating greater synergies and avoiding fragmentation of conservation efforts.
The Americas Flyways Initiative (IAF) seeks to serve as a platform for coordination and cooperation that contributes to translating CMS conservation priorities and the Americas Flyways Framework into concerted action at the continental level.
