Workshop on National IKB Action Plans: North Africa

The CMS Secretariat, on behalf of MIKT, is organising together with the Moroccan Agency for Water and Forests (Agence nationale des eaux et forêts) a workshop on how to develop, implement and monitor National Action Plans on illegal killing, taking and trade of migratory birds (IKB).  The workshop will take place in person from Tuesday 29 September to Thursday 1 October 2026, in Tangier, Morocco. 

The workshop is addressed to governments of North African countries, Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia. NGO stakeholders and other government experts will be attending too to share their experience in combating illegal taking of birds, and developing and implementing national IKB Action Plans.  During the workshop there will be sessions dedicated to the illegal taking and trapping of raptors, with the support of the Raptors MOU.  

Goals of the Meeting 

Advance implementation of the Rome Strategic Plan 2020–2030: Eradicating Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade (IKB) of Wild Birds in Europe and the Mediterranean Region, with a focus on developing and strengthening National IKB Action Plans. 

Facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experiences among government experts, NGOs, and other stakeholders involved in the development and implementation of National IKB Action Plans. 

Discuss and share effective approaches for: 

• Developing, implementing and monitoring National IKB Action Plans. 

• Engaging and coordinating relevant stakeholders. 

• Improving the understanding of the illegal taking of raptors in North Africa through dedicated discussions on challenges, drivers, and successful mitigation measures. 

• Strengthen participants’ capacity to support the development, adoption, and implementation of National IKB Action Plans in their respective countries. 

Background 

The Rome Strategic Plan process-oriented objective of National IKB Action Plans outlines a number of activities on National IKB Action Plans. Among them, Action d, requests the CMS Secretariat to organise regional workshops to support the development and implementation of National Action Plans, where needed during the period 2020-2030. 

According to the Rome Strategic Plan, each National Action Plan against IKB is intended to identify the strategies and actions of the Rome Strategic Plan that are the most relevant to the situation of the country to which it applies or provide a ranking in terms of priorities for the actions to be implemented. 

The development of an IKB NAP is considered an opportunity for wide collaboration between all actors involved in combating IKB in a country and a way of prioritising and organizing action. It is also a way of encouraging ownership and empowering the different actors, especially if the plan is endorsed at a high governmental level. 

As part of the implementation of the Rome Strategic Plan, the CMS and Bern Convention Secretariats prepared Guidance for the Development and Implementation of National Action Plans against the Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of birds. MIKT members and the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention endorsed this document in 2022.  

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.