What's New at Ramsar

Update on preparations for COP7

The Secretary General's visit to Costa Rica, February 1999

The Secretary General visited San José during the week of 8 February 1999 to meet with Costa Rica's Vice President and Minister of Environment and Energy, Ms Elizabeth Odio Benito, and other Government officials, NGOs and private sector groups to review local preparations for Ramsar COP7. He reports that preparations are very much in hand and that Ms Odio has reconfirmed her strong support for and personal invoment with the Conference of the Parties.

At an open air press conference in San José (right to left): Ms. Elizabeth Odio Benito, Vice President of Costa Rica and Minister of Environment and Energy; the Secretary General, Delmar Blasco; Marco Solano, Coordinator of the Ramsar COP7 Office at the Ministry; and Luis Rojas, Director of the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC).

For further information, please contact the Ramsar Convention Bureau, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland (tel +41 22 999 0170, fax +41 22 999 0169, e-mail ramsar@ramsar.org). Posted 17 February 1999, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.