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Monitoring The UN > The UN and Sustainable Development United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Convention on wetlands of international importance especially as waterfowl habitat (The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands)
February 1971: The Convention on Wetlands is signed in Ramsar, Iran. Background to the Ramsar Convention Initial interest for an international Convention on wetlands was voiced in the early 60's as a result of Project MAR, a programme proposed by L. Hoffmann to the World Conservation Union (IUCN). This project called for an international programme on the conservation and management of marches, bogs and wetlands. Global concerns regarding the widespread destruction of wetlands and the resulting impacts on waterfowl grew as a result of this initiative and resulted in the adoption of the Ramsar Convention in 1971 and its entry into force four years later in December 1975. Negotiations of the Convention extended over a period of eight years. These were mainly under the auspices of the International Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Bureau (IWRB) (now Wetlands International) and initially focused on waterfowl conservation through the protection of wetland refuges. The Convention was adopted by the Final Act of the Conference on the Conservation of Wetlands and Waterfowl, which was held in the Iranian city of Ramsar from 30 January to 3 February 1971. The Convention was first signed in 1971 by 18 countries and its ratification by seven countries was required for it to come into force. The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was then mandated to act as the depositary for the Convention. There are presently (as of March 2000) 119 Contracting Parties to the Convention, with 1021 wetland sites, totalling 74.8 million hectares, included in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance. The Ramsar Convention is the only multilateral environmental convention devoted to a specific ecosystem. While the Convention has been in existence for over 26 years, wetlands remain among the most threatened habitats in the world. Prof. Geoffrey Matthews, one of the founding fathers of the Convention, explained that wetlands were typically perceived as "trackless wastes in which the traveler could easily be lost and sucked into bottomless mires" or "haunts of demons" or again "disease-ridden places, their bad air blamed for malaria". It is now well understood that wetlands provide essential services to humanity including flood control, water supply, and food resources and are an essential habitat for countless numbers of plants and animals. The Ramsar Convention at the Glance The official name of the treaty – The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat – reflects its original emphasis on the conservation and wise use of wetlands primarily to provide habitat for waterbirds. Over the years, however, the Convention has broadened its scope to cover all aspects of wetland conservation and wise use. For this reason, the increasingly common use of the short form of the treaty’s title, the "Convention on Wetlands", is entirely appropriate. The mission of the Ramsar Convention, adopted in Brisbane at COP 6 in 1996 is: "The conservation and wise use of wetlands by national action and international cooperation as a means to achieving sustainable development throughout the world" What are wetlands and why are they important? The Convention provides for the protection of a variety of habitats including rivers and lakes, coastal lagoons, mangroves, peatlands, and even coral reefs. Article 1.1 of the Convention defines wetlands as: "areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters." Article 2.1 adds that wetlands: "may incorporate riparian and coastal zones adjacent to the wetlands, and islands or bodies of marine water deeper than six meters at low tide lying within the wetlands." Wetlands are among the world’s most productive environments. They are cradles of biological diversity, providing the water and primary productivity upon which countless species of plants and animals depend for survival. They support high concentrations of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrate species. Of the 20,000 species of fish in the world, more than 40% live in fresh water. Wetlands are also important storehouses of plant genetic material. Rice, for example, which is a common wetland plant, is the staple diet of more than half of humanity. Source: Ramsar Convention website The Ramsar Convention is the first of the modern global intergovernmental treaties on conservation and wise use of natural resources, but, compared with more recent ones, its provisions are relatively straightforward and general. Parties to the Convention agree to four main commitments:
The Paris Protocol and the Regina Amendments Over the years, the Conference of the Contracting Parties has further developed and interpreted the basic tenets of the treaty text and succeeded in keeping the work of the Convention abreast of changing world perceptions, priorities, and trends in environmental thinking. Some amendments relating mainly to the operation of the Conventions have been made over the years. The first amendment was adopted in December 1982 at the Extraordinary Conference of the Contracting Parties held in Paris, France. The Paris Protocol, which came into force in 1986, essentially establishes a procedure for amending – bringing modifications – to the Convention. The Regina Amendments were adopted in 1987 at another Extraordinary Conference of the Parties held in Regina, Canada. These amendments focus on Article 6 and 7 of the Convention and relate to the operations of the Convention such as powers of the Conference, the establishment of a Standing Committee, and a permanent Bureau (or secretariat). The Regina Amendments came into force in May 1994. Strategic Planning for Wetlands At the 6th Conference of the Parties in Brisbane, Australia in 1996, parties adopted the Strategic Plan 1997-2002. This plan identifies some 125 actions to be undertaken by each Party to the Convention, the Bureau, the Conference of the Parties, the Standing Committee, the Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) and International Organization Partners. Eight general objectives underlie the identified actions of the Strategic Plan.
A first review of the Strategic Plan was carried out at the 6th COP meeting in Costa Rica in 1999 where The Convention’s Work Plan 2000-2002 was adopted to see the full implementation of the Strategic Plan in 2002. The Work Plan acknowledges the work undertaken and sets clear targets for the remaining actions of the Strategic Plan. In 2002, The Work Plan will be assessed and based partly on national reports required from Parties. Cooperation with other Conventions Since 1985, over eleven Multilateral Environmental Conventions have entered into force. Ensuring that these complement or reinforce each other is essential if the environmental concerns addressed by conventions stand to benefit from these complex legal instruments. The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) has made the coordination between environmental conventions a key focus of its work. The Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention has undertaken various initiatives to increase cooperation with other conventions. A Memorandum of Cooperation was signed in 1996 between Secretariats of the Ramsar Convention and the Convention on Biological Diversity, an initiative given high priority by the Conference of the Parties at their 6th meeting. Joint work plans were subsequently developed first for the period of 1992-1999 and again for the 2000-2001 period. A Memorandum of Cooperation was also signed between Secretariats of the Ramsar Convention and the Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD) in 1998. In addition, memorandums of understanding were also signed between Secretariats of the Convention on the Conservation on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CWS) and the World Heritage Conventions (WHC). A Joint Website for Biodiversity-Related Conventions has been created and provides easy access to key information as well as links to other sites. Partners of the Ramsar Convention\ Unique to the Ramsar Convention is the official procedure established to confer to international organizations, including NGOs, the status of “International Organization Partner” (IOP). This Status is granted to organizations that regularly contribute to the evolution and implementation of the Convention. Four international NGOs presently have this status: BirdLife International, IUCN – The World Conservation Union, Wetlands International and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Canada and the Ramsar Convention The Convention on Wetlands came into force for Canada on 15 May 1981, making Canada the 28th country to become Party to the Convention. Canada presently has 36 sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance covering a surface area of 13,051,258 hectares. These 36 sites represent close to 20% of the area of designated sites worldwide, granting Canada the country with the largest area designated as Wetlands of International Importance. As required by the Convention, the Canadian government has granted Administrative Authority to the Water & Habitat Conservation Branch of the Canadian Wildlife Service within Environment Canada. The objective of the Canadian Federal Government, as identified in The Federal Policy on Wetland Conservation, with respect to wetland conservation is to: “promote the conservation of Canada's wetlands to sustain their ecological and socio-economic functions, now and in the future.” Canada was the first nation in the world to formalize wetland conservation policy at a national level through the adoption of The Federal Policy on Wetland Conservation in 1991 In addition, four of Canada’s ten provinces, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario, have implemented provincial wetland management policies that complement the federal policy initiative. The initial identification of wetlands management as a key land-use issue in the country came from the Federal-Provincial Committee on Land-use (FPCLU) in 1987. This Committee produced that same year a report entitled: “A Framework for Wetlands Policy in Canada”. In 1990, a national policy conference called “Sustaining Wetlands Forum” was co-hosted by the federal government and non-government and industry groups and resulted in a series of recommendations. The Prime Minister, a keynote speaker at the Forum, confirmed the Federal Government’s intention to act on the recommendation to develop wetland conservation policies as part of the national Green Plan. After consultations in the Summer of 1990 and widespread support for Wetland policy development, The Federal Policy on Wetlands Conservation was adopted in 1991. The following goals are identified in the Federal Policy:
The Federal Policy on Wetland Conservation outlines seven strategies to provide for the use and management of wetlands so that they can continue to provide a broad range of functions on a sustainable basis. These strategies are aimed at working in concert with other ongoing initiatives for wetland conservation. They are aimed at providing practical direction, support, and tools to program managers.
Wetlands are also key considerations within these other initiatives:
The North America Wetlands Conservation Council (Canada) (NAWCC), an advisory body that reports to the federal Minister of the Environment, was created under the Canada Wildlife Act in 1991. The body is composed of federal, provincial and non-governmental wetlands agency partners including Wildlife Habitat Canada and Ducks Unlimited Canada. Its mandate is to 1) facilitate and coordinate the North American Waterfowl Management Plan in cooperation with the US and Mexico, 2) promote wetland awareness and conservation policies, and 3) provide assistance to implementing wetland conservation internationally. A review of major federal and provincial legislations relevant to wetland conservation was undertaken in cooperation with the NAWCC and completed in July 1998. Canada participates in international networks, many of which focus on the development of methods for valuing wetlands from an economic perspective. The IUCN and the OECD are leading such initiatives. The Migratory Birds Convention between Canada and the US also contributes to wetland conservation. This Convention was recently amended in 1997. Bilateral agreements on migratory birds are also sought with other countries including the Russian Federation and the UK. Canada has submitted a National Report prepared for the 7th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands held in 1999. This National Report offers recent information on initiatives both at the policy and activity level undertaken in Canada in the last years. Ramsar Sites in Canada There are 36 designated Ramsar sites in Canada distributed between the four regions of the country. Seven are located in Northern Canada; nine are in Western/Pacific Canada, twelve in Central Canada, and eight in Atlantic. The largest sited tend to be in the North. To learn about the Ramsar Sites in Canada click here Working Structure of the Ramsar Convention The Secretariat or Ramsar Bureau is responsible for the daily work involved in the administration and implementation of the Convention. The Conference of the Contracting Parties consists in all the member states to the Convention. Meetings of COP occur every three years. The mandate of the COP is to approve resolutions, recommendations and technical guidelines that would contribute to continued implementation of the Convention. A Standing Committee was created in 1987 to carry out the work of the COP between meetings. The Standing Committee meets every year. A Scientific and technical Review Panel was established at COP 5 in 1993 to provide guidance on key issues related to the application of the Convention. In addition, four of Canada’s ten provinces, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario, have implemented provincial wetland management policies that complement the federal policy initiative. UN Links
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