2025/026: CMS COP15 Registration and General Information

1. Dates and venue

The CMS Secretariat is pleased to provide more details on the Fifteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (COP15), which will take place from 23 to 29 March 2026 at the Bosque Expo in Campo Grande, Brazil.

The Fifty-Seventh Meeting of the Standing Committee (StC57) will take place on 22 March 2026 in the same location. 

More details on the agendas of these meetings and possible additional associated events that may take place during or prior to COP15 will follow in due course. 

2. Registration 

The   Registration   for COP15 is now open.  Registration to the meeting will serve as notification of the desire to be represented at the meeting. To register for COP15, please follow the instructions on the registration website at COP15 Registration. 

3. Participation of observers

In accordance with Article VII, paragraph 8, of the Convention, the United Nations, its Specialized Agencies, the International Atomic Energy Agency, as well as any State not a party to this Convention and, for each Agreement, the body designated by the parties to that Agreement, may be represented by observers at meetings of the Conference of the Parties. 

Paragraph 9 of the same article states that any agency or body technically qualified in the protection, conservation and management of migratory species in the following categories, which has informed the Secretariat of its desire to be represented at meetings of the Conference of the Parties by observers, shall be admitted unless at least one-third of the Parties present object: 

a) international agencies or bodies, either governmental or non-governmental, and national governmental agencies and bodies; and 

b) national non-governmental agencies or bodies which have been approved for this purpose by the State in which they are located. 

4. COP15 provisional agenda, documents and side-events

The provisional agenda, COP documents, information on the organization of side events and exhibitions, and logistical information for delegates will be posted on the CMS website as soon as they become available. Please check the COP15 webpage regularly. 

5. Submission of documents for COP15 

Timelines for the submission of documents for COP15, including deadlines for National Reports, proposals for the amendment of the Convention and its Appendices, and proposed Resolutions and Decisions, have been communicated to Parties and stakeholders through Notification 2025/014 of 25 March 2025. The Notification also outlines the flow of documents through the Scientific Council. 

Additional guidance on the drafting and submission of documents, including document template, has been provided through the meeting website

6. Voting rights

Parties are reminded of Rule 20 (2) regarding voting rights: “Representatives of Parties that are three or more years in arrears in the payment of its assessed contributions on the date of the opening session of the meeting of the Conference of the Parties shall not be eligible to vote. However, the Conference of the Parties may allow such Parties to exercise their right to vote if it is satisfied that the delay in payment arises from exceptional and unavoidable circumstances, and shall receive advice in this regard from the Standing Committee. The exceptional and unavoidable circumstances shall be communicated in advance by the Party concerned to the Standing Committee for consideration at its meeting prior to the meeting of the Conference of the Parties”.

7. Credentials

Parties are requested to pay particular attention to the credentials of their representatives. Representatives of Parties to COP15 need to be granted powers by an appropriate authority enabling them to participate and represent their governments. A sample letter of credentials which Parties may wish to use as a model is available on the meeting webpage. As per Rule 3 (5), representatives are encouraged to submit their credentials prior to the meeting to allow efficient processing by the Secretariat and Credentials Committee.

8. Funding support for eligible delegates 

The budget approved by COP14 does not include funding to support the participation of eligible delegates. Therefore, the Secretariat invites Parties and other donors to contribute towards these expenses. A notification on this matter will be sent shortly.

9. Media 

All media queries should be directed to Aydin Bahramlouian at [email protected]. 

10. Visa and Hotel reservation 

Participants are responsible for obtaining their own visas well in advance, as visas on arrival are not possible. Delegates who will attend meetings in cities with Brazilian consular representation are strongly encouraged to take this opportunity to apply for their visas there. For up-to-date information on which nationalities require a visa and confirmation that visas cannot be obtained on arrival, please refer to the Portal Consular of the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Participants are also responsible for making their own hotel reservations. The Secretariat will provide further relevant information in the Participants Information Note, including information related to the city and transportation. 

For further information on COP15, including registration, please contact the Secretariat at [email protected]