Workshop announced for Asia-Pacific Migratory Waterbird Conservation Strategy

(posted to the Ramsar Forum, 24 August 2000)

Announcement for an international waterbird conservation meeting, Okinawa, Japan, October 2000

Dear friends and colleagues,

We are pleased to forward the following announcement for your information. Apologies for any cross postings.

Participation in this important meeting is welcomed. For more details on participation, kindly contact the Workshop Secretariat.

Best wishes

Taej Mundkur
Interim Executive Director
Email: taej@wiap.nasionet.net

WETLANDS INTERNATIONAL - ASIA PACIFIC 3A39, Block A, Kelana Centre Point, SS7/19 Petaling Jaya, 47301 Selangor, MALAYSIA Tel: +60-3-704 6770 || Fax: +60-3-704 6772 || Email: wiap@wiap.nasionet.net   Wetlands International - Asia Pacific activities: http://ngo.asiapac.net/wetlands

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ANNOUNCEMENT FOR AN INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP FOR THE ASIA-PACIFIC MIGRATORY WATERBIRD CONSERVATION STRATEGY: 2001-2005 

Naha City, Okinawa, Japan, 16-19 October, 2000

Dates: October 16 - 19, 2000

Venue: The Naha Terrace (2-14-1 Omoromachi, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture, 900-0006 Japan, Tel: +81-98-864-1111 Fax: +81-98-863-3275 URL: http://www.terrace.co.jp )

Host Organizations: Environment Agency of Japan, Environment Australia, and Wetlands International

Co-sponsored by: Okinawa Manko Workshop Steering Committee

Background: In 1994, an international workshop and symposium: Conservation of Migratory Waterbirds and Their Wetland Habitats in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway was held at Kushiro, Japan, co-sponsored by Environment Agency of Japan and Australian Nature Conservation Agency (now Environment Australia). 100 participants from 17 countries attended. The outcome of the workshop was the "Kushiro Initiative" which recommended the:

1. Establishment of international approach to cooperate for migratory waterbird conservation through out the Asia-Pacific region

2. Development of habitat networks on the flyway for each migratory waterbird group

To implement this initiative, the Asia-Pacific Migratory Waterbird Conservation Strategy: 1996-2000 (hereafter, Strategy 1996-2000) was developed. In 1996, at the COP 6 of the Ramsar Convention, the "Brisbane Initiative", encouraged Contracting Parties in the region to implement the Strategy and the Shorebird Network was launched.

Major achievements of the Strategy 1996-2000 have been the launch of the Crane Network in 1997 at Beidaihe, China, and the Anatidae Network in 1999 at San Jose, Costa Rica, during the COP 7 of the Ramsar Convention.

The Ramsar COP7 called (Recommendation 7.3) for greater multilateral cooperation on the conservation of migratory waterbirds in the Asia-Pacific region The recommendation was sponsored by Australia and Japan, and strongly supported by the United States, Russia, China and other countries. The recommendation encourages the Contracting Parties to extend their support to the Strategy and to consider the development of a multilateral agreement or other arrangement, to provide for the long-term conservation framework for migratory waterbirds and their habitats.

To implement this recommendation, an international workshop is required to consider the second stage of the Strategy before the end of implementation period of the Strategy: 1996-2000.

Workshop Objectives:
Confirm the achievements of the Asia Pacific Migratory Waterbird Conservation Strategy: 1996-2000
Endorse the final draft Asia Pacific Migratory Waterbird Conservation Strategy: 2001-2005 and new Action Plans for three waterbird species groups

Target audience
Government representatives dealing with wetland and waterbird issues in the Asia Pacific region
Related international bodies
Japanese municipal governments which hold network sites
National/international wetland/waterbird experts
National/international NGOs

Workshop Secretariat c/o Saya Murakami (Ms.) CCC (Creative Convention Center) Roppongi 25 Mori Bldg. 18F, 1-4-30 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032, Japan Phone : 81-3-5574-8676 Fax : 81-3-5574-8696 E-mail: ccc@home.ccc-inc.co.jp

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