International news

From late-night bat surveys in Croatia to engaging in wildlife policy within the European Union, ecologist Zrinka Domazetović has spent the past two decades proving that conservation is as much about diplomacy as biology. Less than a year ago, Zrinka took the helm of EUROBATS, the world’s only treaty devoted solely to bats, bringing with her a résumé that spans heading Croatia’s biodiversity service, leading delegations at CITES and the Bern Convention, and chairing the most recent EUROBATS Meeting of the Parties.

The Government of the Netherlands, in its expert capacity, is in the process of developing a Single Species Action Plan (SSAP) for the Tope Shark (Galeorhinus galeu

Each year, the synchronized journeys of billions of wild animals including birds, whales, antelopes, bats and butterflies remind us that life on earth is connected. When Arctic terns cross oceans or saiga antelopes sweep across grasslands, they link ecosystems, economies and cultures across national borders and continents. This year’s International Day for Biodiversity, celebrated under the theme “Harmony with Nature and Sustainable Development,” reminds us that protecting these travelers and the habitats that sustain them, is fundamental to our own future.

A new front in the global fight against wildlife crime began today in Riyadh, with the launch of the South‑West Asia Illegal Taking of Migratory Birds Intergovernmental Task Force (SWAITBT). Established under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), the South-West Asia Illegal Taking of Birds Task Force (SWAITBT) brings together ten range states to confront the illegal and unsustainable taking of millions of birds each year, which has been driving flagship regional species such as the Steppe Eagle, several falcon species and Sociable Plovers towards extinction.

The importance of designing and managing urban environments that support both birds and people is the message of this year’s World Migratory Bird Day, a global campaign organized by the United Nations and international partners. The campaign kicks off with this year’s first peak day on 10 May 2025. Under the theme “Shared Spaces: Creating Bird-Friendly Cities and Communities,” the campaign urges collective efforts to secure the future of migratory birds in and around urban environments amid alarming bird population declines.

Bustards — majestic, ground-dwelling birds found across Africa, Asia, Europe, and Australia are flagships for biodiversity richness of steppe and grassland ecosystems. But these once-abundant symbols of healthy grassland ecosystems are now in alarming decline. In response, conservationists and policymakers from around the globe are joining forces to launch a global plan to secure their future. 

New maps released today document in unprecedented detail the seasonal movements of two migratory antelope species—the white-eared kob* and tiang—across South Sudan’s expansive wetlands and Ethiopia’s Gambella National Park. Covering an area of over 100,000 km², roughly seven times larger than Serengeti National Park, these maps reveal the largest known land mammal migration on Earth, also known as the “Great Nile Migration”.

This Notification is a follow-up to Notification 2024/007 sent at the request of the 56th Meeting of the Standing Committee (StC56), which met in Bonn, 25-27 March, 202

The Federal Republic of Brazil and the Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) announced today that the country will host the Convention’s 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, from Monday 23 to Sunday 29 March 2026.  This landmark UN wildlife conservation meeting will bring together governments, scientists, conservationists, indigenous peoples and local communities, environmental leaders, and civil society from around the world to tackle the urgent conservation challenges faced by the thousands of species of wild animals that cross international borders. 

The CMS Secretariat is pleased to announce the dates and venue of the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15).