III Panamerican Regional Meeting, November 2004, Mexico
MERIDA MESSAGE
APPRECIATING the warm hospitality extended by the Government of Mexico, the State of Yucatan and the Civil Municipality of Merida to the of the III Ramsar Pan-American Regional meeting held in Merida, Mexico, November 8-10, 2004;
RECOGNIZING that the Contracting Parties and non-Contracting Parties of the Americas and Non-Governmental Organisations present at the meeting are equally committed to the conservation and protection of the rich wetland resources of the region;
ACCEPTING the importance of effectively preparing for the Ramsar Ninth Conference of the Parties to be held in Kampala in November, 2005;
NOTING that the Americas have many distinctive and unique wetland systems and related needs for management strategies and policies at regional, national and local scales; and
NOTING as well that the countries of the Americas also share many common management, policy and strategic issues and common concerns with respect to the conservation of wetlands in general and the implementation of the Ramsar Convention in particular;
The Contracting Parties and non-Contracting Parties of the Americas, with the support of the Non-Governmental Organisations present at the meeting:
AGREED to adopt the attached document which contains a list of guidelines for action for the Americas and its sub-regions; and
FURTHER COMMIT themselves to give further future consideration to opportunities for enhanced collaboration between the nations of the Americas through appropriate existing mechanisms or through the development of new approaches to wetland conservation and wise use.
