Hírek a nagyvilágból

Chair Colin Galbraith (UK) opened the Committee of the Whole (CoW), followed by an update on progress from working groups.

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 Committee of the Whole (CoW) met throughout the day to consider scientific assessments and reports, strategic and institutional matters, issues related to the Scientific Council, and matters pertaining to the interpretation and implementation of the Convention. The Budget, Avian, Terrestrial, Aquatic, and Institutional Working Groups established by the CoW met over lunch and in the evening.

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).

In the opening address, Abdulla Aripov, Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, welcomed participants to his country and pointed to the “urgent and coordinated” measures required to “preserve the harmony of human life with nature.” He highlighted Uzbekistan’s cooperative efforts with neighboring countries to create transboundary protected areas. Participants then watched a short, engaging video on migratory species conservation prepared by the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change, Uzbekistan.

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.

Your Excellency Abdulla Aripov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan,