International news

The Secretariat of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation and Management of Dugongs (Dugong dugon) and their Habitats throughout their Range (Dugo

A host of new measures to safeguard migratory species, have been adopted at the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP14) to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) concluded today in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Among the measures agreed: the addition of 14 additional species to the coverage of the Convention, including the Eurasian Lynx, Pallas’s Cat and Sand Tiger Shark.  Other measures were adopted to safeguard species such as the chimpanzee and giraffe.

The much-anticipated Mid Term Implementation Review of the 12-Year Vulture Multispecies Action Plan (Vulture MsAP) has been completed, revealing crucial insights into the current state of vulture populations in Africa and Eurasia. Designed in 2017 to address the pressing threats facing these majestic birds, the Vulture MsAP aims to ensure their survival and promote their recovery across 128 countries in Africa-Eurasia. However, the latest review underscores the urgent need for intensified efforts to counter ongoing challenges and emerging threats to vultures.

The 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP14) convened in the ancient Silk Road city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan, under the theme of “Nature knows no borders.” As the first CMS COP since the COVID-19 pandemic, the first to be hosted in Central Asia, and the first major biodiversity conference since the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) in 2022, COP14 represented a historic crossroads for tackling the conservation of migratory species and their habitats across the globe, from the bottom of the sea to the upper reaches of the sky, and spanning every type of ecosystem in between.

The destruction, degradation and fragmentation of natural habitat is one of the two greatest threats to migratory species of wild animals.  Today a major new initiative was launched at the UN wildlife meeting taking place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, to ensure that areas of importance to migratory species are identified, protected and connected. Known as the Global Partnership on Ecological Connectivity (GPEC), the announcement took place on the margins of the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP14) to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).

The first-ever State of the World’s Migratory Species report was launched today by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), a UN biodiversity treaty, at the opening of a major UN wildlife conservation conference (CMS COP14).

Samarkand, 12 February 2024 - On the margins of CMS COP14, the highly anticipated Champion Night took place to honor new CMS Champions, recognized for

Among the migratory animals covered by the Convention on Migratory Species, a total of 962 species are birds. The threats they face are manifold and include habitat loss, unsustainable and illegal taking, pollution, collisions with man-made structures, and climate change.

The official message of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev can be found here (in Russian).  

Of the migratory species listed under the Convention on Migratory Species, 64 are aquatic mammals, 54 are fish, and 9 are reptiles, covering many diverse species such as whales, sharks, and turtles. Their migratory ranges include rivers, estuaries, beaches, seagrass meadows, coral reefs, coastal zones, the open ocean, deep-water trenches, and seamounts - to name but a few. They occur in all climatic zones, all oceans, and many inland water systems. The threats they face are manifold and include overexploitation, habitat loss and degradation, pollution, and climate change.