The Third Meeting of Signatories to the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Birds of Prey in Africa and Eurasia (Raptors MOU MOS3) kicks off on the 3^rd of July 2023, lasting for four days.

The meeting, which is hosted by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi on behalf of the Government of the United Arab Emirates, will take place in Dubai, UAE.

The Raptors MOU is an international agreement established under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, also known as CMS. Countries that are Signatories to the MOU aim to take coordinated measures and actions to achieve the favourable conservation status of bird of prey species throughout their range and to reverse their decline.

The Third Meeting of Signatories will bring together representatives of the 61 countries that are Signatories to the MOU, the MOU’s Cooperating Partners, a range of inter- and non-governmental organisations, and other interested stakeholders to review progress on the conservation of birds of prey since the last meeting of the kind – the Second Meeting of Signatories – took place in 2015. The July 2023 meeting will further provide an opportunity for all those engaged to share information on their conservation initiatives and lessons learnt from them.

Significant progress has been made since the Second Meeting of Signatories. For instance, the Raptors MOU is supporting the development of action plans for the conservation of Sooty Falcon (Falco concolor) and West African Vultures across their ranges. It is working with Signatories to identify ways to ensure the sustainable use of birds of prey in falconry. It is also working to determine how to best support countries with monitoring their bird of prey species. These and other projects, including a ground-breaking analysis of the conservation status of the 93 species protected under the MOU, will all be discussed in the upcoming meeting.

The Raptors MOU MOS3 is anticipated to count on opening remarks from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, and the Executive Coordinator of the CMS Office – Abu Dhabi, Ms Rouba Abou-Atieh.

The meeting will be an opportunity to celebrate successes and define the focus of future priorities, all in the name of promoting cooperation for the conservation of African-Eurasian migratory birds of prey and their habitats.

Relevant information on the meeting can be found here: https://www.cms.int/raptors/en/meeting/third-meeting-signatories-raptors-mou.