The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

The 8th Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention -- Pre-COP events and side events
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Ramsar member countries meet every three years to assess the progress of the Convention and wetland conservation to date, share knowledge and experience on technical issues, and plan their own and the Bureau's work for the next triennium. These are called Meetings of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COPs), and there have been seven since the founding of the Convention.  The 7th COP was held in San José, Costa Rica, 10-18 May 1999, and the eighth meeting of the COP will be held in Valencia, Spain, 18 to 26 November 2002.

Pre-COP Events

Developing further the Plan of Action to implement Africa's wetland management strategy under the Environmental Initiative of NEPAD, Valencia, 17 November 2002

Ramsar - UNEP co-sponsored workshop on wetland strategy under the New Partnership for Africa's Development. Agenda, with a summary paper succinctly entitled "Twelve important issues to be considered for developing further the Plan of Action to Implement Africa's Wetland Management Strategy under the Environmental Initiative of NEPAD"; a large background document, "Thematic paper on management of Africa's wetlands"; and draft Plan of Action. English, Français.

Global Biodiversity Forum, Valencia, 15-17 November 2002

The 17th Session of the Global Biodiversity Forum (GBF17-Valencia/Ramsar COP8) will be convened from 15 to 17 November 2002 in Valencia, Spain, immediately prior to the 8th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention on 18-26 November 2002. It is currently proposed that GBF17 address the following five key issues: Wetlands Restoration and Mitigation; Environmental Governance and Sustainable Development: the Contribution of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands; Agriculture, Wetlands and Water Resources; Wetlands, People and Climate: Preparing for Change; and Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA). For more information, please visit the GBF Web site (http://www.gbf.ch) or contact Caroline Martinet (gbf@iucn.org).

Iberoamerican Days of International Cooperation, Toledo, Spain, 13-14 November 2002

The International Cooperation Program of the General Directorate on Nature Conservation of the Ministry of Environment of Spain is organizing the IBEROAMERICAN DAYS OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ON WETLANDS. These meetings will analyze the perspectives and priorities for international cooperation in conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. The Spanish Agency for International Cooperation (AECI), the Ramsar Convention Secretariat and Fundacion Global Nature have thus created this space for bringing together donors (public and private sector), recipients in Latin America (governments, NGOs, research institutions, individuals), and the Convention on Wetlands itself. The results of the meetings will be publicized a few days later during the Conference of Parties of the Ramsar Convention in Valencia, Spain. For more information, please visit the Ministry of Environment Web site (http://www.mma.es/ramsar/docs/Jornadas.htm) or contact Maite Martín Crespo (maite-martin-crespo@dgcn.mma.es) or Melissa Marín (melissa.marin@dgcn.mma.es).

World Conference of NGOs and Local Communities on Wetlands: "Ramsar, 30 Years Later", Valencia, 15-16 November 2002

The Spanish NGO Ecologistas en Acción (Ecologists in Action) is organizing the Conference, which will be held in the Palacio de Congresos (Congresses Palace) of Valencia. For more information contact preramsar@nodo50.org.

Youth NGO conference, Valencia, autumn 2002

For members of European NGOs up to 26 years old, to be organized by Amigos de la Tierra España (Friends of the Earth Spain). For further information, contact Viktória Tóth, informacion.centroiris@tierra.org, or Fernando Ramos (Amigos de la Tierra Galicia), fernando@ineco-ambiente.com.  Brief announcement here in English, French, Spanish, and German. Full prospectus in English, French, and Spanish.

Side Events

Side events include group meetings, press conferences, presentations, photo opportunities, launching of publications/CD ROMs/initiatives, and other activities which are not part of the official agenda of the Conference of the Parties and which are normally sponsored by government agencies or non-governmental organizations or associations outside of the official proceedings of the COP. They take place outside the official working hours of the COP, e.g., in the early morning, at lunch time, and in the evenings.

Side events must be proposed by government agencies or non-governmental organizations or associations that are entitled to be registered at the meeting.

Side events that are intended to take place during the COP and make use of the venue's facilities should be registered with the Bureau, so that a suitable time and place can be allocated and conflicts avoided.

The Ramsar Bureau is trying to identify one or more teams of interpreters that could be hired to provide services at side events if needed, since the interpreters of the COP will not be able to cover the side events as well. Provided that this service can be arranged, its cost will have to be covered by the side event organizers. Organizers may also wish to provide light meals and beverages to participants (especially at lunch time events). The Ramsar Bureau will provide advice on how to hire these services, with the cost to be covered by the organizer(s).

Given the limited amount of both time and space during the COP, it is possible that not all requests for a side event can be met. In determining time and place for approved side events, the Bureau will give preference to: a) those side events that have a close relation to the issues for discussion and decision by the COP; and b) those side events organized by one or more Contracting Parties or International Organization Partners of the Convention.

A form for requesting the scheduling of a side event during the COP is included here in Web format and in Microsoft Word 6/95 format, and should be returned when completed to the Ramsar Bureau by post, fax, or e-mail.

The schedule of side events already planned as of 10 November 2002 is available here.

For further information about the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, 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 30 March 2001, updated 11 November 2002, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.