Working Groups

Working Groups are normally established either in a formal or informal manner in the context of the bodies (decision-making and subsidiary) of CMS and its instruments. Some of these Working Groups operate only during the meeting of these bodies while others have the mandate to work intersessionally to provide advice or recommendations. Depending on the nature of their mandate, Working Groups can be composed of Member States’ representatives or scientific experts within or without the technical bodies of these instruments.

A number of further Working Groups on various issues and species have been established under the Agreements and MOUs.

Active Working Groups

Multi-species Action Plan to Conserve African-Eurasian Vultures

White-backed vulture (Gyps africanus) © André Botha

Vultures are under extreme pressure from a range of human activities. Drastic and widespread vulture population declines in recent years in Asia and Africa are reflected by the IUCN Red List status: the majority of species of Old World Vultures are now considered ‘Critically Endangered’.

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Preventing Poisoning of Migratory Birds

In 2014, the 11th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CMS (COP11) passed Resolution 11.15 – Preventing Poisoning of Migratory Birds, recalling CMS COP10 Resolution 10.26 - Minimizing the Risk of Poisoning to Migratory Birds. These Resolutions called on Parties to the Convention, non-Party Range States and other stakeholders, including non-governmental organizations, to engage in co-operative activities and to elaborate strategies to address poisoning of migratory birds.

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Saker Falcon Task Force

The Saker Falcon Task Force (STF) was established under the auspices of the CMS Raptors MOU to develop a Saker Falcon Global Action Plan (SakerGAP). The SakerGAP was developed over three years and adopted at CMS COP11 in 2014, where the STF remit was also extended to oversee SakerGAP implementation.
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Working Group on Climate Change

The Fifth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CMS (COP5, 1997) passed a recommendation calling for the establishment of a small working group to guide the Scientific Council’s decisions on climate change. Recommendation 5.5 provided the foundation for CMS’s climate change mandate, and was further developed by subsequent Resolutions 8.13, 9.7 and 10.19.
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Working Group on Flyways

CMS Resolution 9.2 (Rome 2008) established an open-ended working group on global bird flyways within the framework of the Scientific Council to act as a think tank on flyways and frameworks, and tasked with reviewing scientific and technical issues for conservation of migratory birds and their habitats and relevant international instruments, initiatives and processes, as the basis for future CMS policy on flyways. Resolution 10.10 (Bergen 2011) recognized the excellent work of the Flyways Working Group and proposed its continuation to review relevant scientific and technical issues, international initiatives and processes, and to provide guidance and input to the conservation and management of flyways at global and flyway level. Resolution 11.14 (Quito 2014) further requested the continuation of the WG to monitor implementation of the Flyways Programme of Work that was adopted at COP11. The mandate was renewed again at COP12 through Resolution 12.11 on Flyways. The mandate was further extended at COP13 through Resolution 12.11 (Rev.COP13) and most recently renewed at COP14 through Resolution 12.11 (Rev.COP14), which outlines the current FWG mandate.
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Concluded Working Groups