32nd Meeting of the Ramsar Standing Committee

Decisions of the 32nd Meeting of the Standing Committee

SC members present: Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Bahamas, Canada, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Morocco, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Slovenia, Uganda

SC permanent observers present: Netherlands, Switzerland; BirdLife International, IUCN, Wetlands International, WWF International

Agenda item 4: Election of the President and Vice-Presidents

Decision SC32-1: The Standing Committee agreed to recommend to the COP under Agenda item V that Minister Otafiiri be welcomed as President of the COP, and that Australia and Mexico be appointed Vice-Presidents.

Agenda item 5: Appointment of the Credentials Committee

The Deputy Secretary General (DSG) nominated individuals from Benin (Dr Maman-Sani Issa), Thailand (Ms Nirawan Pipitsombat), Switzerland (Ms Nathalie Boesch), Peru (Ms Cynthia Cespedes), Canada (Mr Ken Brock), and Palau (Ms Alma Ridep-Morris). Australia indicated that Palau might not now be able to attend the COP and, if so, another Party would be identified at the Oceania regional meeting to serve in Palau's place.

Decision SC32-2: The Standing Committee agreed to recommend that the COP appoint the proposed delegates to the Credentials Committee, subject to confirmation by the Conference Committee following consultations at the regional meetings.

Agenda item 6: Establishment of COP9 Committees

Decision SC32-3: The Standing Committee agreed to recommend that the COP appoint Albania, Algeria, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, China, Colombia, Japan, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Switzerland, the UK, and the USA, and a further African Party, to join the existing Subgroup on Finance to form the COP Committee on Finance.

Agenda item 8.1: Draft Resolutions submitted by Contracting Parties

Draft Resolution 22

Decision SC32-4: The Standing Committee requested the Secretariat to prepare a new document incorporating and blending relevant elements of DR1 Annex B and DR22, including a digest of the STRP's comments on DR22 and with some flexibility to allow for incorporation of relevant results of the Technical Session discussions.

Draft Resolution 24

Decision SC32-5: The Standing Committee determined to bring DR24 forward for the COP's consideration, acknowledging that some Parties have indicated that they will have further comments to make about it.

Draft Resolution 23

Decision SC32-6: The Standing Committee agreed to accept Switzerland's revised text as Revision 1 of the draft Resolution that the COP will consider. The Secretariat was asked to see to its translation and distribution via the Documents Centre and Ramsar Web site.

Draft Resolution 21

Decision SC32-7: The Standing Committee agreed that draft Resolution 21 should be brought forward to the COP for its consideration.

Agenda item 8.2: Revisions to draft Resolutions submitted by the Standing Committee

Decision SC32-8: The Standing Committee agreed to bring DR8, Rev. 1, forward for the COP's consideration and requested the Secretariat to have it translated and distributed as quickly as possible.

Agenda item 8.3: Avian flu

Decision SC32-9: The Standing Committee urged the Parties to consult with their capitals if necessary on the general question of a COP Resolution on the avian flu and migratory waterbirds issue, and at the same time informal discussions can begin among interested Parties and organizations on the form that such a DR might take. Any draft text that could emerge from those discussions will be considered by the Conference Committee for possible presentation for the COP's consideration.

Agenda item 11: Small Grants Fund allocations

Decision 32-10: The Standing Committee approved the proposals from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ghana, Suriname, Tajikistan, and Brazil for immediate funding and the proposals from Jordan, Cape Verde, and Ukraine for the A2 reserve list in the event that additional funding should become available.

Agenda item 12: Any other business: Crane Bank proposal

Decision SC32-11: The Standing Committee accepted with gratitude the offer by the Crane Bank to fund a capacity-building programme for young African wetland professionals to be seconded to Uganda's Wetland Inspection Division, and it committed the incoming Standing Committee to develop rules for the programme at its 34th meeting in spring 2006.