The 9th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties

Monday, 7 November 2005

10:00 - 18:00 32nd Meeting of the Standing Committee (thenceforward the Conference Committee)

09.00 - 18.00 Registration of delegates

Tuesday, 8 November 2005

10:00 - 13:00 MedWet/Com VII; Americas regional meeting; Asia regional meeting;

14:30 - 17:30 Africa regional meeting; Americas regional meeting; Europe regional meeting; Oceania Regional meeting

18:00 - 21:00 Opening ceremony and welcoming statements (includes Agenda items I and II)

Wednesday, 9 November 2005

08:00 - 18:00 Registration (continued)

10:00 - 13:00 Plenary Session

III Adoption of the Agenda

IV Adoption of the Rules of Procedure

V Election of the Chairperson and Vice Chairpersons, Remarks by the Chairperson

VI Appointment of the Credentials Committee and any other committees

VII Admission of Observers

VIII Report of the Chairperson of the Standing Committee

13:00 - 15:00 Lunch break

15:00 - 18:00 Plenary Session

Special statement: The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and its results relating to the Ramsar Convention

IX Report of the Chairperson of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP)

X Report of the Secretary General and overview of the implementation of the Convention at the global level

XI Issues arising from Resolutions and Recommendations of previous meetings of the Conference of the Contracting Parties:

Special presentation on wetland conservation and sustainable use in Uganda

Followed by Host Country reception

Thursday, 10 November 2005

08:45 - 09:45 Meeting of the Conference Committee

10:00 - 13:00 Plenary Session: Administration/Implementation matters

XII The Convention's Strategic Plan 2003 2008: a review of progress

XIII The Convention's Work Plan 2006-2008: introduction and first general discussion

XIV Financial report by the Chairperson of the Subgroup on Finance of the Standing Committee and proposed budget for the triennium 2006-2008

XV Consideration of the draft Resolutions and Recommendations submitted by Contracting Parties and the Standing Committee

13:00 - 15:00 Lunch break

15:00 - 18:00 Regional Meetings to prepare and caucus views for the upcoming Administration/Implementation and Technical Sessions:

Friday, 11 November 2005

08:45 - 09:45 Meeting of the Conference Committee

10:00 - 13:00 Plenary Session: Administration/Implementation matters (continuation from the previous day)

13:00 - 15:00 Lunch break

15:00 - 18:00 Plenary Session: Administration/Implementation matters (continuation from the morning)

Saturday, 12 November 2005

08:45 - 09:45 Meeting of the Conference Committee

10:00 - 13:00 Technical Session: The role of wisely managing wetlands in alleviating poverty and promoting human well-being

1. The role of culture and knowledge in wetland management
2. Ramsar and integrated water management

13:00 - 15:00 Lunch break

15:00 - 18:00 Technical Session: The role of wisely managing wetlands in alleviating poverty and promoting human well-being (continued)

1. Applying the wise use principle
2. The role of Ramsar in mitigating natural disasters, such as tsunamis

20:30 - 22:00 Regional meetings to agree on recommendations to the Plenary Session on Contracting Parties to be elected to serve on the Standing Committee

Sunday, 13 November 2005

08:45 - 09:45 Meeting of the Conference Committee

10:00 - 13:00 Contact groups to consider those draft Resolutions where issues remain to be agreed

Field visits organised by Uganda

Monday, 14 November 2005

08:45 - 09:45 Meeting of the Conference Committee

10:00 - 13:00 Plenary Session

XVI Report of the Credentials Committee

XVII Report on the discussions, conclusions and recommendations in the Administration/Implementation sessions

13:00 - 15:00 Lunch break

15:00 - 18:00 Plenary Session

XVII Report on the discussions, conclusions and recommendations in the Administration/Implementation sessions (continued)

XVIII Reports and recommendations arising from the Technical Session

Tuesday, 15 November 2005

08:45 - 09:45 Meeting of the Conference Committee

10:00 - 13:00 Plenary Session

XIX Adoption of Conference Resolutions and Recommendations

13:00 - 14:00 Lunch break

15:00 - 18:00 Plenary Session

Presentation of the Ramsar award (provisional)

XX Election of the Contracting Parties that will serve on the Standing Committee

XXI Date and venue of the next Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties

XXII Any other business

XXIII Adoption of the report of the 9th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties

XXIV Close of the meeting

Evening - 33rd Meeting of the Standing Committee

Wednesday16 November 2005

Possible High-level Segment; to be organised by the Government of Uganda

NOTES ON SOME SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEMS

III Adoption of the Agenda
The Conference will consider document Ramsar COP9 DOC. 1: Provisional Agenda and Programme and adopt the Agenda and Programme for this meeting.

IV Adoption of the Rules of Procedure
The Conference will consider document Ramsar COP9 DOC. 2: Rules of Procedure and will adopt the Rules for the 9th Meeting. Note: The Rules have been adopted by Ramsar COP8 and any changes proposed by Standing Committee 31 would need to be proposed here, as Article 6.4 of the Convention texts stipulates that the COP "shall adopt rules of procedure for each of its meetings".

V Election of the Chairperson and Vice-Chairpersons
Pursuant to the Rules of Procedure, the Conference will elect the Chairperson and Vice-Chairpersons for the meeting on the basis of proposals made by the Conference Committee.

VI Appointment of the Credentials Committee and any other committees
Pursuant to the Rules of Procedure, the Conference will appoint a Credentials Committee on the basis of proposals made by the Conference Committee, and may establish any other committees necessary to enable the Conference to carry out its functions. The COP may wish to establish a Committee on the Work Plan 2006-2008; a Committee on finances and budget; and a Committee on content and duration of future Ordinary Meetings of the Conference of the Contracting Parties.

VII Admission of Observers
Provisions have always been made for the participation in the Meetings of the Conference of the Contracting Parties of international agencies or bodies, and national governmental and non-governmental agencies or bodies, provided the Parties present do not decide otherwise (a COP document with the list of registered observers will be tabled at the meeting).

VIII/IX Report of the Chairpersons of the STRP and Standing Committee
For Standing Committee, this will be a summary of the previously circulated document setting out the key challenges for the future. For STRP, this will briefly review operations of the STRP and then introduce the draft "Technical Resolution" on additional guidance for wise use, for immediate adoption by the COP. This assumes that this draft Resolution has been through thorough preparatory and consultative processes.

XI Issues arising from Resolutions and Recommendations of previous meetings of the Conference of the Contracting Parties: This item will clarify the programme for the following days in terms of which items should be addressed through the Administration and Implementation sessions and which through the Technical session.

XV Consideration of the draft Resolutions and Recommendations submitted by Contracting Parties and the Standing Committee
A COP document will contain the proposals approved by the Standing Committee at its 31st Meeting (June 2005) for consideration by Ramsar COP9, as well as the proposals submitted by Contracting Parties at least 60 days before the opening of Ramsar COP9 (i.e., by 7 September 2005). In this Plenary Session there will be a first discussion of the proposals, to allow the search for consensus to begin before the final drafts of the decisions are submitted for approval on the last day of the Conference. (Note: Contracting Parties will be able to submit new proposals during the meeting to the Conference Committee, provided that those new proposals deal with: a) urgent issues resulting from the debates during the meeting; and/or b) new developments that it was not possible to foresee in advance.)

XVI Report of the Credentials Committee
A Ramsar COP9 document will be tabled at the meeting. As on past occasions, the Credentials Committee will require that the credentials of the delegates of Contracting Parties be presented in English, French or Spanish, on the appropriate letterhead, and be signed by the Head of State or Government and/or the Minister of Foreign Affairs, or by an official legally empowered by the State concerned to accredit representatives at international meetings.

XX Election of the Contracting Parties that will serve on the Standing Committee
On the basis of the proposals presented by the six Ramsar regions, the Conference will elect the countries that will serve on the Standing Committee from the close of the 9h Meeting of the COP until the close of the 10th Meeting. (The new Standing Committee will meet immediately after the close of Ramsar COP9 and, on the basis of the Rules of Procedure, will designate the countries that will act as Chair and Vice Chair of the Committee, as well as the countries that will serve on its Subgroup on Finance and any other subgroup that may have been established.)